Under the scar (Remade)
by leah9712
Summary: The peaceful kingdom the Lion King created is threatened by a lion which is as mysterious as dangerous. In this limiting situation, Mufasa sees that the only option to defeat the enemy is working with his brother, Scar. A difficult task as their brotherhood is broken. Will finally the two brothers make amends in this death or life situation?
1. The Lion Prince

**CHAPTER 1:**

" _ **The Lion Prince"**_

The sun ascended, illuminating the vast African savannah. All the animals from different parts of those lands raised their heads when a hornbill flew over them, and immediately, started to follow him. From the rhinos drinking peacefully in the river, to the cheetahs watching the bird flying far away, guiding the rest of them to where all of them were supposed to be assembled that morning.

The hornbill, called Zazu and also known for being the most loyal and obliging majordomo of the famous and feared Lion King, looked down, seeing the subjects of his best friend following him slowly but surely. In his mind, he started to count all the animals for each species. The giraffes and zebras were heading the way, being the last ones running through the river, splashing around them without caring too much. Right behind them the elephants were heading with heavy steps, currying a few birds on their tusks, and a few vulturines Guinea flow were running in front of them, trying to not be trampled by their big feet. Lots of flamingos and storks were now flying along with him when he arrived at the Zubiri river passing him by as he decided to keep doing his job in making sure everybody was coming to the important event.

Zazu decided to descend a bit to take a better look, and then he saw hartebeests, topis, and gazelles leaping in unison. Bit a bit, the rhinoceros began to join the big group of animals and the hornbill also saw a few meerkats running together, curious in seeing what could've created that movement. He counted them, and then kept paying attention to the rest of animals who hadn't been added to his mental list. At the end of the crowd, he discerned the family of cheetahs. He stopped flying forwards, and started to move his head from left to right, in an attempt to see if there were more of their species. But there weren't. Making a face, Zazu got closer to them, ascending a bit more to not be seen by any of them.

Above their heads, he saw the couple that was in charge of the family of their species that decided to still live near the Pridelands. It was formed by Mkali, strict as her own name let see, she was the strongest female back at the cheetahs' lands, but also with a calmness worthy of admiration and understanding; and by Jelani, powerful in his home, serious, firm and mistrustful, he ruled along with his mate with iron paw. Between the two of them, their little daughter was advancing by strides, laughing happily. Zazu gave the hint of a smile at the sight. The little Utamu… She was completely different from her parents: she was joyful, playful and her face was always adorned with a smile, demonstrating that she was as sweet as her name indicated. With only two and a half moons, she showed to not be afraid of anything, having an insatiable hunger of adventure.

"Utamu, dear, do not got too separated from your father and I" he heard Mkali say with resolve, yet a bit of tenderness could be heard.

"But I'm so excited, mummy!" said the cub, laughing happily. "It's the first time I'm visiting the Pridelands itself!" then, she stopped abruptly, and with confusion in her features, she asked: "Mummy, why are we here?"

Mkali looked at her daughter with gentleness: "Because the Lion King had a cub last night, his first-son, the one who will inherit his father's place as a king when you're an adult, sweetheart. And, as the tradition says, the heir has to be presented in front of the entire kingdom, and all the animals have to come to show their respects" explained the cheetah.

"Yes… That little moment when we all pretend to be happy with the arrival of a new beast we will have to protect ourselves from" said Jelani with a sarcastic tone.

"Jelani, we've talked about this" said Mkali with a severe glare.

"And I've already told you what I think about all this" said the male, looking at his mate with a frown. "This is just pure… protocol. To make that king happy. He sees us and we leave. Nothing more to discuss" he said, looking forwards once again.

Mkali looked at him with a boring expression, and rolled her eyes: "You're unbearable" she muttered, annoyed.

Zazu saw the little Utamu tilting her head to one side, not understanding a thing, and he also made a face of disgust as the female cheetah: "The King is not going to like this one bit" he said to himself before take up his flight.

He just had to count a few antelopes and kudus that were left behind and were running to not be too late, and then took the liberty to go flying rapidly to the encounter of the King. In less than a minute, he saw the big and majestic rock that gave a home to the royal family formed by lions who ruled the Pridelands for generations, known as Pride Rock. If there were only one thing that would command any animal who saw more than it, that would be the King who was now ruling those lands.

At the verge of Pride Rock, the monarch stood. With a thick red mane now moving due to the wind and a yellow pelt that shone more like gold itself, the Lion King took a look at all his subjects, who were now looking up, anxious. Zazu's features were adorned with a smile when he arrived at the place and landed in front of the King, being watched the entire time. He greeted the monarch with a bow. Looking up, the hornbill saw the King staring at him serious and stoic at first, but just in one second he softened his features with a sincere and serene smile. And he nodded, greeting the bird back.

None of them had too much time to talk when the lion saw the animals below him getting separated from each other, giving way to an old baboon who advanced nodding at each of them in a sign of greeting. The King's smile became more affectionate before the vision of the monkey, the shaman of his kingdom and the great advisor and loyal friend he could count on when he found himself lost or confused. Zazu flew at the monarch's side when the baboon arrived at the same place both were. And then, the lion and the baboon hugged each other, happy to see each other.

"Congratulations, Mufasa. Good to see you so happy after living in constant angst these past three months" said the shaman with a laugh, and he gave him a light tap on his shoulder.

The King gave a deep and short laugh as a reply: "Do not mention it… The important thing is… that everything is fine now"

Mufasa advanced to the entrance of his den with rapid yet elegant steps, being followed by the hornbill and the baboon. Inside, they saw a lioness with a dark pelt broken only by the lighter fur her muzzle, paws and underbelly possessed. Her dark reddish orange eyes shone with happiness when she saw her mate getting closer to her. The royal couple greeted each other with a nuzzle, full of love. Sarabi's eyes fell on the baboon and a gentle smile appeared on her face.

"Rafiki, good you're already here" she said, making an attempt to get up.

The shaman immediately raised one hand to stop here: "Do not get up, dear, you need to rest after spending all night awake. Incredible how such a little being could cause such a shock in so many animals" he commented with a small laugh.

"He isn't the prince for anything…" said the Queen. Then, throwing a funny glare to her mate, she added: "I already can say he's just like his father"

Mufasa rolled his eyes with a wee smile: "I think he's a bit more like you" he said.

Sarabi just wrinkled her nose and shook her head in a mocking manner to the big lion, and the couple laughed, happy, nuzzling each other once again. Then, Sarabi proceed to lick the top of her new-born cub, making the little one turned around and see all the happy faces that were paying him attention. Smiling, Rafiki began to shake his crook, making the fruits that were hanging on it sound as a rattle. The little prince looked at it amused and tried to touch it, unsheathing one little claw in the action. Then, he took one of his fruits he brought with him and broke it in two, smearing then its juice on the cub's forehead. When he finished with this, he sprinkled a bit of dust upon the prince's head, making the cub sneeze. Rafiki saw the two parents smiling and nuzzling at each other once again at the adorable sight. Without further ado, he picked up the little lion cub, putting him on his right shoulder while he advanced to the verge of Pride Rock, where all the animals were waiting impatiently for this time to come.

The royal couple got up and approached the scene at the same time Rafiki raised their son in the air, showing him to the entire kingdom. And, one second after, all the animals began to make sounds of happiness and joy at the sight of their future king. Sarabi breathed in when a soft air started to blow, feeling very peaceful after three months of pure angst of what could happen when her cub would be born. Lots of ideas tormented her, like the thought that she could lose her cub in the middle of the labour, or that the cub would be sick or too weak. But now that was all in the past. Both Mufasa and her had a good health, and her mate possessed spectacular genes from his parents. Everything was going perfect.

Quickly, the trumpeting of the elephants and the screams of the monkeys filled the air, almost silencing the rest of sounds of happiness the rest of animals were making. And while Sarabi was enjoying the ceremony, Mufasa found himself looking unceasingly at all directions, a frown wrinkling his face. Zazu was the first one to notice it, and worried asked:

"Are you alright, your majesty?"

Mufasa looked at him with the corner of his eye for a moment before continuing looking everywhere: "Yes, don't you worry"

Zazu didn't believe him, and he would've kept watching the presentation if the king hadn't let a tired sigh escape his lips: "I can see that something is bothering you, your Highness…"

It was a comment spoken with shyness, maybe almost fear. Mufasa decided to show the hornbill a little smile, to calm the bird's nerves: "Nothing can escape your eagle eye, huh?" he commented in a whisper, looking at Sarabi carefully. He didn't want two animals worried over him.

Zazu felt more relaxed with that reply: "An eagle would love to have the great sense of sight I have" said the hornbill taking the liberty to land on the monarch's right shoulder.

Mufasa laughed a bit at the remark: "I agree with you on that…" he said.

"So, am I right? Something's spoiling this great moment?" asked the majordomo, concerned for his friend.

Mufasa sighed a bit. It was useless to lie to Zazu: "I'm not seeing my brother" he admitted.

Zazu rolled his eyes. Of course. Only that weird and grumpy lion could ruin this beautiful moment.

"Haven't you seen him among the animals this morning?" asked the King, with a frown of worry.

"No, I haven't, sire…" answered the hornbill with honesty. When he saw a bit of sadness in his friend's orbs, he added: "But maybe he is late"

Mufasa shook his head: "I can't believe this… For a time he can and _should_ show a bit of respect… he does _this_ " commented the monarch with a severe expression.

"I can look for him, if you want" proposed the majordomo.

"No. Do not work while the presentation is taking place. You can go when it's over" said Mufasa, now tightening his chin, visible upset. "In fact, I think I'll go with you as well. I have some things to sort out with him"

"As you wish, sire" said Zazu with a frown of worry, and he looked at the presentation again.

When the conversation between the King and his loyal majordomo was over, Rafiki put Simba down, holding him in his arms, and gave him back to his parents. When the little one was once again in his mother's arms, he yawned, and curled up against the lioness chest. Sarabi didn't lose time in start licking his head again. Mufasa smiled at the sight, and Zazu was happy to see the joy coming back in his friend's irises.

"What will be his name?" asked Rafiki, taking his crook from the ground and staring at the monarch.

"Simba" answered Mufasa rapidly.

Both Rafiki and Zazu saw a bit of sadness mix up with fury when the name get out of the lion's lips, but as soon as it appeared, faded away, so they decided to not paying too much attention to it. Instead of that, the old baboon nodded his head, and, after another hug of farewell, he left the Rock. And, as the baboon's form disappeared from his sight, Mufasa's smile also faded away.

"Come, Zazu" he said, prepared to descend Pride Rock.

The hornbill nodded, obedient as he always was, but also a bit of fear was born inside his little chest at the sight of the King's bother. He knew Mufasa wasn't a violent lion – maybe he had a bit of anger issues sometimes, but he couldn't care less – but he also was aware of how things changed when his brother was in the middle of one of his angers. Mufasa could get annoyed at the littlest of things after a fight with his brother, and Zazu doubted he would have enough energies to think twice before talking so he couldn't suffer the King's unstable mood. He had lost them all those past three months…

"Mufasa, darling, are you leaving?" asked Sarabi with a bit of surprise in her voice.

The King stopped abruptly at the sound of his mate's voice. And Zazu sighed relieved. If someone could calm Mufasa down, that would be Sarabi.

"Yes, I… I have to…"

Before the King could have a chance to explain himself, a female voice was heard behind his backs. Turning around, Mufasa saw a lion with a fur lighter than his own and a mane also thinner, possessor of the same colour as his pelt but darker and with its tips black due to his advanced age, something that also his tired and reddish orange eyes let see. By his side, a lioness of same age was standing, with a pelt which shared the same colour as the Queen's. Her orange eyes were shining with joy when she saw the royal lioness accompanied by a little ball of yellow fur.

"Oh, let me see my little grandson" said the lioness, jogging to the Queen's side.

Sarabi's smile grew bigger: "Mum, Dad, you came" she said, nuzzling her mother with affection.

"Of course we did, honey" said the male with a laugh. "We couldn't have missed our grandson's presentation for anything else in the whole world. Now, let me see him, let me see him" he said with a excitement proper of a child.

"Oh, look at him, Leo… He just has his mother's eyes!" said the lioness with tenderness.

"His mother's eyes that she inherited from me. So, he has my eyes, in the end" said the male, putting on airs. "Oh, look. He also has the exact same nose Mawa had when she was born" he commented with a bit of melancholy in his eyes.

"Where is she, by the way?" asked Sarabi, raising a bit her head.

"She got married last month and left the pride" answered her mother. After a sad sigh, she added: "I still can't believe she's not living with us anymore"

"Hey, she'll be alright, Mchumba. Remember she chose a very good lion. He helped her every time she started daydreaming" said Leo with a small laugh.

Sarabi imitated him: "Yes, Mawa was just like that. Uzuri couldn't come either?" she asked then pinning her ears.

"You know Uzuri left a year after you decided to live here, honey…" answered the old lioness. "She visits us sometimes, but we haven't known from her in the last months" she said, also showing a bit of sorrow.

"Oh, come on, Mum, don't show me that face… I'm sure she's alright" Sarabi reassured her, nuzzling her.

"Our daughter is right. We should be glad Uzuri chose such a nice lion who takes care of her the way he does. With all the lions she always had interested in her, it's a miracle she made a right choice" said Leo, nodding at the end, proud of his daughter.

"Uzuri always was very popular among lions" commented Mchumba with melancholy in her voice. "But even if they had found wonderful mates, I can't stop feeling the emptiness a mother's heart feels in these situations" she explained shaking her head a bit sad.

"Well, we still have Akili" said Leo.

Sarabi raised her ears at the mention of that name: "Oh… Is she still living with you?" she asked carefully.

"Yes" both lions said.

"And she couldn't come?" asked the Queen, her expression more serious as the seconds passed by.

"Oh, Heavens…" muttered Zazu, passing one wing on his face. "Now, everything is messed up!"

"Oh, well, see… She… She told us she would take care of the pride in our absence" said Mchumba, with a nervous giggle at the end.

"Hum…" said Sarabi, narrowing her eyes.

"She's the oldest, honey, and the only one of you four who hasn't found a mate yet. So, that means she will be in charge of the pride when your father and I… Well…" said the lioness a bit uneasy.

"When we retire" said Leo with a smile. "And what a wonderful time that would be… Spending my time in doing nothing more than sleep and sunbathe"

"You already do that…" said Mchumba with a boring expression.

Sarabi laughed at that and looked at her mate. An uncomfortable expression was shown in his face. At first, she thought it was because of the mention of her sister, but seeing further, she could see there was something more. The King felt his mate's glare on him, and when both pair of eyes were glued to each other, the golden lion gave a wee smile. One that would show her he was feeling fine, but Sarabi, knowing him as she did, didn't believe him.

"Mufasa, dear, congratulations" said Mchumba now getting closer to her son-in-law. "He's such a beautiful boy" she added, taking a bow.

"Yes, I was starting to think I wouldn't live enough for see at least one _grandcub_ " said Leo with a laugh. Mchumba looked at him with a frown, and hit him with one paw. "Ow, my ribs!" he complained under his breath.

Mufasa bowed his head in sign of respect in front of his in-laws: "Leo, Mchumba… It's good to see you came" he commented with a forced smile.

"Again, it was a pleasure" said Mchumba, smiling at him with sweetness. However, when she looked at him more carefully, she added: "Is everything alright, Mufasa?"

"Yes, yes… Just…" the King looked behind his backs. Nobody was there. He sighed: "I just… remembered I had an important thing to do" he made up.

"Well, try to remember that nothing is more important than a child" said Leo all of a sudden. "You had a male cub. He will need a masculine presence. Without a masculine presence in the cubhood of a male, the little one would become a effeminate" he turned around to go back to see his grandson.

"Don't listen to his advices, Mufasa" said Mchumba in a whisper.

"Oh, this mane of mine is a total disaster!" they heard him say in exasperation. Looking at Leo, they saw him fighting with one lock that fell upon one of his eyes. "Is it perfect now? Is my mane perfect now? I need a puddle. A puddle I said. Something where I can see my reflection!" he complained aloud.

Simba began to complain in his mother's arms, crying a bit: "Dad, you just woke up the cub!" said Sarabi with a frown.

"To the hell with the cub, my mane is a mess!" said Leo angry.

"See what I told you?" asked Mchumba, bored.

Mufasa laughed a bit: "Be patient with him, Mchumba" he said, before turning around and descend his home.

The lion looked up, seeing Zazu was nowhere to be found. He thought maybe the hornbill went to look for his brother. A frown adorned his features.

"Maybe he's just late… _Truly_ late… Or maybe I didn't see him with so many animals… I didn't see Mchumba and Leo" he started to say to himself, in an attempt to find an explanation of why his brother would have missed the ceremony.

Mufasa let out a sigh of pure exhaustion. His brother and him once were the best of friends, and now they were like strangers. They barely talk. The King sometimes tried, others he just saw it was useless and decided to let it go, to focus on his own problems. Those last three months, he hadn't seen his brother, to be honest he hadn't remembered him with all the problems he had during the pregnancy of his mate. Sarabi became more anxious and worried over things he hadn't thought about, and that made him to be in a state of pure nervousness.

Last night, while his mate was giving birth to their cub, Mufasa and his brother spent time together again. It didn't last too much, just a little chat in which the other lion gave his brother the name his son would carry the rest of his life. He knew it was a tradition that the King was the one to chose the name – more than a tradition, it was part of the law – not even the Queen or any other subject could name the heir, no matter how closed they were to the King. Mufasa made sure he obey the laws of his family, always, but that time he decided to do an exception. Besides, he liked the name. And he knew his brother had inherited the ability to chose names their mother had possessed in life.

"Your majesty"

Mufasa raised his head, finding a brawny lion in front of him. With a yellow pelt and dark brown mane, he stood there, looking at the King with his black eyes, inspecting him up and down. At his side there was a slim lioness with grey eyes, more kind in appearance than her mate. In contrast of the two lions' pelts, she had a light brown pelt that from time to time, reminded the King of his mother. And that made Mufasa felt calmer.

"Kali, Fedha" he said, and the mentioned ones bowed their heads in respect.

"We'd like to congratulate you for the birth of your son, your Highness" said the lioness with a sweet and fragile voice.

"You're very kind" said the King, showing her a tender smile.

"We were starting to worry" commented the lion with his tone of baritone voice. "As it passed so much time since you ascend the throne…"

Mufasa pressed his lips at that. It was true. He was aware of that kind of thoughts in some of his subjects. It was common that, after the prince was crowned as king, this would have a heir. But in his case it was very different. It had to pass a few years until he and Sarabi decided to have a cub. He didn't have to give any explanations, he never felt comfortable with that, but he didn't want problems with Kali.

"I…" he began to say, taking one step closer.

"But, of course, I can't blame you" interrupted the lion. "It had to be very difficult to take care of a kingdom when you are not given enough lessons"

The King went backwards after hearing that. He tried very hard to not show his discomfort, and also how much his heart hurt with that comment. But, unfortunately for him, he wasn't good at concealing his emotions.

"Such a terrible tragedy…" kept saying Kali, now shaking his head.

"Yes, it was. But those things sometimes happen. There was nothing any of us could do" said Mufasa, stoic as always.

"Indeed" said the lion. Then, a small smile appeared on his face. "It was nice to see you after a long time, Mufasa"

"Same, Kali" said the King, forcing a smile for the second time that day.

The three lions bowed their heads in sign of farewell, and when the couple turned around, Mufasa let himself exhale slowly, in an attempt to calm himself down. It was useless, though, as Kali stopped and turned his head all of a sudden.

"Oh, and Mufasa… Say hello to that brother of yours on my behalf… I haven't seen him in the whole presentation. But of course that may be because I didn't look very well, and with all the animals that were there… I doubt the brother of the King had missed his nephew's presentation" he said, with a sarcasm so well masked in fake concern that it was pretty difficult to notice it, but Mufasa did. He could even saw the wee smile that lion had on his face.

And without waiting for a reply, he kept walking. Mufasa tensed up at that and buried his claws in the dirt, trying to contain himself. He saw Fedha getting closer to him, a bit more shy than before.

"Congratulations again, your Highness" she said, before went running to her mate side.

Mufasa watched both of them go, with his blood boiling inside his veins. He began to walk once again when both lions were far away from him, with heavy steps and gritting his teeth. He couldn't think in anything that could calm him down. He didn't have reasons to, anyway. This day, what was supposed to be the most special and happy for a King became a bitter experience. And he was going to let the guilty of all that know. _Better be prepared with a good excuse, Scar_.

* * *

 **So, finally here it is... I saw lots of you were waiting for this to be better than the original, and I will try to do it that way.**

 **Undergrowth: The Jungle Book wasn't a part of my childhood, actually. I just watched the second one a few times because they passed it in the TV, so I didn't care too much a Shere Khan as a child. He scared the hell outta me when I was little, I have to admit it... XD! About the fight... I don't know who will win in real life... As both are Disney characters, and good guys always win in Disney, I think it would be Mufasa... But on my mind, I don't know why, something tells me Shere Khan would win. I mean... He's such a bad guy, for sure he has a few tricks and wouldn't play fair, but he couldn't care less, while Mufasa would be fair in the battle, and that would be a mistake on his part with that tiger...**

 **FeatherSunfire: Aw, thank you a lot!**

 **Kingacar4: Thank you! Who do you think he was? =3**

 **All Hail King Scar: Already thought about that, don't worry ^^ Thanks for your support!**

 **Fluffy Dream: Thank you for taking your time to reading it!**

 **Underbush: Yeah, that was something that always called my attention. I never thought Scar was weak, just that he liked the mental battles more, but he surely knows how to defend himself. I doubt he would win Mufasa, but he had Simba knocked down LOL**

 **Ass Face 21: Thanks for the support! If I tell you, where will the suspense be? But I'm interesting in hearing theories if you have any =)**

 **Handy-Dandy: I adore fics that talked about Mufasa and Scar relationship. That's why I started to write this, and I'm glad you liked it that much. Hope this remake is at the height of it... The Jungle Book wasn't part of my childhood. I watched the first one the other day, and I must admit it was good (I didn't like the ending, though XD). I must say even as an adult Shere Khan scared me, hells! He's so scary! I can see why they inspired in him to make Scar! They have some similarities! And I loved Bagheera! (Funny thing: I thought he was the bad guy when I saw the cover of the film when I was little LOL). I doubt I ever make a fanfic of the film, but now it has a special place in my heart, that for sure. If it makes you feel better, I was basing the villain in this story in Shere Khan, because I love his diplomacy =)**

 **My Ass: I hope it is. I'll try my best! Thank you!**

 **BobCat Bob: Well, after watching the Jungle Book I must admit I fell in love with Bagheera, such a sweetheart! I looked for information to see if panthers live in Africa, and I saw they do! And I already have a place for it in this story, so there will be one =) And thanks for that wonderful information!**

 _ **Sursum corda!**_


	2. Don't turn your back on me

**CHAPTER 2:**

" _ **Don't turn your back on me"**_

It was finally peaceful. After what seemed like an eternity, finally those animals fell silent. He couldn't sleep well last night with the lowing of his sister-in-law, but he didn't feel tired. He was used to not rest, to never fall in Morpheus' arms. He had even forgot how it felt to sleep properly, to visit the lands of dreams where he could feel calm for an instant. Sometimes, he missed it; others, he didn't mind that much. But just because he was unable to sleep well didn't mean that insufferable mate of that more insufferable brother of his had the right to steal the only moment he could live without thoughts tormenting his soul.

He knew the lionesses, that annoying bird and his brother always criticised his habit of sleeping half of the day, without doing nothing, only sleeping. If only they knew… Those moments were like Heaven to him, because he wasn't thinking of anything, his mind was resting, maybe his body still feel tired, maybe he didn't have strengths to do nothing after "resting" six hours in a row, but he felt his mind calm, he could restart thinking without feeling a terrible headache, those who attacked him when he less needed it. It happened to him since he was little. His mother used to tell him that the best he could do was rest, close his eyes, forget the world around him, all the worries and darkness it held. There was another option that was stop thinking with so much frequency as he did, but of course, both his mother and him knew it would be stupid to just suggest it.

His mind was the one who gave him strengths. He may be the slimmest male lion he had ever seen in his whole life, the most fragile, the smallest… They were attributes he inherited from his mother, and they were fine if he had been a female, but being a male they were a pain in the neck. People around him used to make fun of him because his appearance. He wasn't strong, his presence wasn't that intimidating, it didn't have power. _Not like Mufasa's…_

Oh, his brother. How much he hated him. He hated to see him, to hear his voice, to feel his scent, to know he still had a heart, beating safe inside his ribcage as if it were a chest protecting an important and valuable treasure. Mufasa had all he hadn't, he had the presence, the demeanour, the power… The overbearingness well hidden behind the magnificence a king should carry. Those stupid lionesses never saw that side of his brother's personality, but of course, who could blame them? A crown so brilliant was able to blind the world around it, making the rest think things that were unreal to be more real than the sun rises in the East…

Mufasa was trained to be able to fool the world around him. His father, Ahadi, taught him to. Falseness was a subject every prince had to pass in order to become king. The ability to say things in such a manner that it seemed he was doing the right thing, when, in fact, he was only looking for his own happiness. Mufasa may not be the most intelligent lion – he couldn't help but laugh at that thought… – but he truly knew how to bring his subjects round to his point of view. He could suggest the most foolish thing anyone would ever thought of, and those brainless would still love him and obey every single thing he ordered.

Since they were little, Mufasa was more popular than him. A thing he didn't care too much in the beginning, but as the time passed by it was becoming more and more unable to stand. Because one thing was being the brother of the next King, and other was to be completely invisible. The funniest thing was all of them – his brother included – thought that, as he liked to be alone most of the time, he preferred to be left alone while all of them went out to play together, as a happy group of loyal friends.

 _Pf, nonsense… There are not such things as… loyalty or friendship…_ How long he wished for a friend to come to his life? Someone who would be there with him in his difficult moments, without asking anything in exchange. And he would've given all back, he would've even given his whole life to make that hypothetical friend happy… Now, it was all in the past. He wasn't that lion anymore. The more you are good, the worse life treat you. He learnt that in a horrible way. And he promised himself he wouldn't go back to be who he was, that no matter what, his heart had to be a piece of ice, a rock, unable to feel. Because if you don't feel, people can't harm you.

A little noise called his attention. His green eyes shone with delight when he saw a little mouse getting out his hideout. The only animal that gave him company in his actual life… and also the perfect appetizer before he would go out hunting. He saw that the little rodent didn't notice his presence, and so, he decided to wait a bit. What could he do? He loved to watch his prey before eating it, and if it was alive it was more pleasant. How would it feel to experiment that wonderful sensation when, instead of some random animal's life, it were his brother's? How much satisfaction he could feel if he saw in his brother's eyes the desperation, seeing him completely helpless, at his mercy…?

A wicked smile crossed his features. He would live the moment of his entire life seeing his brother – the perfect and beloved King – as afraid as a useless cub, the same useless cub he had had last night and the whole kingdom went to see as if he was a god himself. That brat didn't have to do anything more than being born to be adored, admired, _loved_ … Some of them would even be afraid of him, imagining the cruel beast he will be when he became an adult. Could he, or anyone, blame them? With that father of his, it was normal lots of animals would fear for what the cub would be tomorrow… Mufasa wasn't as diplomatic as he pretended to be. No. He would never be, no matter how hard he'd try. He had his father's genes running free through his veins, transforming him in another conceited and spoiled animal who thought to be the centre of the Universe. _How much I would want to destroy his perfect world, get ride of that mask of good King…_ How agreeable would it be to see him crawling, asking for mercy, not being strong enough to defend himself… Taking away all that was his, break him just as much as others broke him… And, of course, that absolutely _no one_ would lend him a helping paw, just like it happened to him.

His daydream was interrupted when he saw the mouse lifting his head, sniffing the air around him. He had caught his scent. _Pf, that was fast…_ thought the lion with scorn. He saw the rodent was about to run, but, unceremoniously, he let his big and dark paw fell on the top of it. With no enough strength to kill it in the act; he still could use it to entertain a morning that started being one of his worst. Slowly, he raised his paw, with the little mouse struggling to get free of the bigger animal's grip. The lion looked at it without any more emotion that pure tedium and indifference.

"Life is not fair, is it?" he asked rhetorically to the mouse, who only gave shrieks as a reply. "You see, I… Well… I shall never be King…" he kept saying, without caring about the struggle of the little animal, who was feeling more desperate at each second. The lion let it go a bit, toying with it with his unsheathed claws. "And you shall never see the light of another day" he declared catching the rodent and laughing cruelly. "Adieu" he said before open his mouth, more than prepared to devour the helpless mouse.

"Didn't you mother ever tell you to not play with your food?" asked a nasal voice with British accent.

The lion grumped in annoyance. It was that damn bird, the tail-licker of his brother. "What do you want now…?" he asked rolling his eyes, and making sure that his appetiser was still under his paw, unable to escape.

The hornbill showed a smile that almost made him let a growl escape his lips, and also took a bow that succeeded in making him roll his emeralds twice since his arrival. "I came to announce you that King Mufasa is on his way, so you'd better have a good excuse for missing this morning ceremony!" he ended the sentence with a scowl and in a demanding tone.

The dark lion could say one of his famous remarks, insult that annoying being or just tell him directly to let him be, and leave. He didn't care about what his brother had to tell him. In fact, he knew what he would do… He would come to invade his personal space, making him questions about his absent in the presentation of his offspring… And he wasn't in the mood of any of that. He didn't even think his brother would notice he wasn't there, but of course, in order to sour his existence, Mufasa had noticed… He didn't have time to do any of his three options as the mouse under his paw finally got free of his hold, and rapidly ran away from him, hiding inside the little hole he called home.

"Oh, look, Zazu, you've made me lose my lunch…" he said with a pretended sad tone, but inside he was cursing the bird for his existence.

"You'll lose more than that when the King gets through with you" replied the majordomo, clearly enjoying that he was in trouble with his brother. "He is as mad as a hippo with a hernia" he said crossing his wings and turning his back on him, passing to look at him with the corner of his eyes.

"Uuh… I quiver with _fear_ " said the lion in a mocking tone, getting closer to the bird in a threating manner.

The hornbill immediately saw his intentions and all his cockiness disappeared, showing now pure nervousness and terror at the carnivore's expression: "Now… Do not look at me that way…" he said with trembling voice, raising both wings in an useless way to defend himself and calm the bigger one down. When he saw the lion was still getting closer, licking his lips, he swallowed afraid and took flight: "Help!" he screamed, being silenced right away when he saw himself trapped inside the lion's mouth.

He felt the bird trying to get out, and he moved his head, refusing to let him go. He wasn't going to eat him, of course, birds wasn't his favourite food… but he had lost his toy thanks to him and he was going to give him a lesson. He hated how he believed to be more than anyone else just because his brother had given him his total trust, and he was the loyal majordomo and advisor of the King…

"Scar" he heard behind his backs.

The aforementioned looked back, seeing the big and golden form of his brother standing at the entrance of the cave. Above him as always. He made a sound with his mouth, being this filled with that arrogant bird, but he sounded casual as he intended. His brother, of course, didn't believe him, and he could also see he wasn't in the mood for his way of act. But that didn't mean his was going to be compassionate with his brother. In fact, when Mufasa was angry, it was funnier to have fun with him.

"Drop him" ordered the golden lion with a frown.

Before Scar could do anything, the bird succeeded in get his beak out the lion's mouth: "Impeccable timing, your majesty…" said Zazu relieved.

Scar half-closed his eyes. How much he hated to hear him praising his conceited brother. However, he did as he was ordered, not because he liked to obey his brother's orders, or because he didn't want trouble… It was just that he was getting sick with that bird's taste in his tongue. He spitted the majordomo out, bathed in his saliva. When Zazu saw what was on him, he let a "ew" out his mouth and looked at himself disgusted.

And then, he sensed it. His brother's scent filled his nostrils. Mufasa was now inside the den. _His_ den. One of the two only ones he had in the whole kingdom, where he liked to spend his free time, where he hated to see anyone else but him inside. But, of course, his brother didn't care… He was the _King_ , he could do whatever he wanted, and what the rest thought or felt wasn't important… He saw the golden lion getting closer to him with a scowl in his features, his chin tightened and walking with heavy steps. His brother wasn't happy. Because of him. And he liked it.

"Why! If it isn't my brother descending from on high to mingle with the commoners…" he commented, with a fake tone of surprise and even happiness.

He felt the angry glare of his brother on his pelt, burning his soul, and he loved it. He adored to take out the beast his brother had inside, the real animal he was, the savage lion he tried to conceal to the rest of the world. Scar knew it lived within him, and he never miss the opportunity to make him release that part of him, remind him he wasn't the perfect royal king his father and subjects idolized.

"Sarabi and I didn't see at the presentation of Simba" said Mufasa severely.

Direct. Concise. To the point. Scar looked at his brother for a minute. He was tensed, full of anger… but it wasn't because of him. No, no… He could see a bit of disappointment, sadness, tiredness… _That_ was because of him, because he didn't go to see how several animals show that brat respect and admiration. But the anger and the fury wasn't because of him. No. Scar didn't need to think too much to understand that something enraged his brother, and now he was going to take it out on him. He was used to it. Mufasa always used him as a way to let off some steam, and as everybody hated him, nobody said anything about it. On the contrary, they even thought he deserved it. Till they were cubs.

"That was _today_?" asked the dark lion, pretending to be surprised and sad. Approaching the stone wall, he stood on his rear legs. "Oh, I feel simply awful!" he lied scratching the rock with his claws, creating an annoying sound that made Zazu wince in pain. Scar took a look at his black claws. They were sharp. Good. "Must've slipped my mind" he kept saying, with apathy.

He saw Mufasa looking at him up and down. Slowly, his frown faded away, and the big lion sighed. He knew he wasn't believing him, but he was going to let it go… as he always did. _He's so easy it almost feels boring already…_ Scar thought, making a face.

"Yes, well, as slippery as your mind is, as the King's brother, you should've been first in line!" Zazu condemned him, feeling brave once again with Mufasa's presence.

Scar looked at him, upset, and when the bird flew in front of him, he clicked his teeth at him, making him fly rapidly to hide behind his brother's paws: "I was first in line" said Scar with resentment, lowing his head to be on his same level: "Until that little hairball was born" he added with bitterness.

"That _hairball_ is my _son_ " began to say Mufasa, lowing his head as well, to look directly as his brother. Both lions lifted their head in unison. The bigger one offended at the other's remark; the thinner one bored of the whole situation. "And your future King" Mufasa reminded him.

That made something inside Scar's mind snap. That was it. He didn't want to keep going with all that nonsense. "Oh, I shall practise my curtsy!" said Scar, mocking his brother once again. He knew that way was better than start a fight, and also funnier. Without waiting for an answer, he turned around, and started to walk away.

"Don't turn your back on me, Scar!" warned Mufasa infuriated.

The dark lion stopped in his tracks, and turning his head, said calm: "Oh, no, Mufasa… Perhaps _you_ shouldn't turn your back on _me_ "

That had so much meaning, and both lions knew. When Scar heard his brother roaring enraged, he smiled slightly. Finally, he received the action he was searching for. Mufasa let his elegance and diplomacy go, he forgot about them, he was letting his savage feelings controlling him. And he only needed one sentence, a little push… Quickly, the golden lion ran to be in front of him, and Scar lowered his head in pretended submission, as if he hadn't wanted to offend his brother. In the inside, he felt satisfied with himself when he saw the fury in his brother's eyes, both rubies shining like fire itself.

"Is that a challenge?" he asked, baring his teeth.

"Temper, temper…" said the smaller one immediately. He had what he wanted, but didn't want a paw to paw fight against his brother. He wasn't in the mood, and he had had his fun, he didn't need him for anything else. "I wouldn't dream of challenging you" he said, rolling his eyes.

"Pity!" Zazu chimed in again. "Why not?" he asked, putting his wings in akimbo.

Scar bent down once again: "Well, as far as brains go, I got the lion's share" he explained with a smile. He liked to remind everybody – especially Mufasa – that he was the cleverest of the two, he felt the great sensation of superiority each time he saw the golden lion wrinkling his features at the reminder. Then, his expression changed from amusement to displeasure when he faced his brother: "But when it comes to brute strength… I'm afraid I'm at the shallow end of the gene pool…"

He finished the sentence with a sad expression, and left bending down throwing a last glare to his brother. He felt the rage appearing in his chest when he admitted he wasn't as strong as Mufasa – or any other lion – but that didn't mean his brother had to see it. No. That what was he wanted, to see him weak and defenceless. Not in a million years, not again, never again. Now he wasn't going to give his brother the time of his life seeing him dying with jealousy because he was what it was expected from a lion: strong and fierce. He had other qualities. Ones his brother could only dream of having.

"There's one in every family, sire…" he heard Zazu saying. Surely, they thought he couldn't hear them, but he had a greater sense of hearing better than he showed, especially to his brother. "Two in mine, actually… And they always manage to ruin special occasions" he kept saying, in a – ridiculous – attempt to make the golden lion feel better…

 _He must feel so bad after let off his steam with me…_ thought Scar with sarcasm, and he rolled his eyes, feeling more enraged with the bird's words.

"What am I going to do with him?" he heard his brother say.

And Scar couldn't help but throw a sarcastic laugh. He sounded as a good brother worried over the black sheep of the family. _His acting is getting better at each day, I'll give him that_ , he thought.

"He'd make a very handsome throw rug" Zazu's suggestion made him wrinkle his features.

"Zazu…!" chided Mufasa.

Of course it wasn't with anger, it sounded as if he found it amusing… Scar didn't need to turn to know his brother was smiling. If he had said something like that about Zazu, Mufasa would tell him off more worse than that, he wouldn't laugh but see it as a great offense. But Scar wasn't surprised. His brother knew a lot about playing favourites, and their blood ties weren't important for him for a long time. And neither for him, he had to admit…

"And just think, whenever he gets dirty, you could take him out and beat him" Zazu kept talking, clearly enjoying the imaginary image of the dark lion as a rug.

And then, he heard his brother laughing. Scar felt irritated because of that, but didn't find it surprising either. It wasn't a surprise to see his brother's anger fading away thanks to a view of him being even more weaker and inferior in his comparison. That was why he liked Zazu that much: that bird make his ego grew more and more with his incessant flattery.

 _What a shame I didn't eat him when I had the chance…_

* * *

The Elephant Graveyard was a inhospitable place. Dark clouds were always in the sky, preventing her and her clan to receive a simple sunbeam. But none of those clouds never brought water to them. No. And so, without sun and water, those lands were more than death. No wonder why the elephants, once they were already too old and weak, decided to go to rest forever in there, adorning the lands with their big skeletons. And then everybody dared to think they trespassed others' lands for fun!

It happened long ago. Before she was even born. Her mother had told her she was too little when everything happened, and so she didn't remember it pretty well either. The only thing her mother could tell her was that the lions were the ones to blame. They weren't worth of anybody's trust, their prides were more important than anything else – even their own family! – and they didn't think twice to kill somebody if they dared to not obey their orders. They thought to be the kings of the beasts. They were the kings of fools, of arrogance, of mistrust, of prejudice, of… Of…

"Damn them all!" she screamed, throwing the nearest bone to her far away.

"You're also having a bad day, Shenzi?" said a voice behind her.

She turned around, seeing her cubhood friend: "Scar… Didn't expect you to came here so early" she said, trying to sound casual.

The lion sat beside her, barely looking at her: "Nothing interesting held me back at the kingdom" he answered.

Shenzi took a deep glare to Scar. She knew him better than anyone else, he trusted her more than anyone, and that was a very difficult thing to have from Scar nowadays. He let her see him in his worst, and she did the same. Both knew things from each other than they hadn't told to anyone else. And Shenzi remembered that she hated all lions, they were enemies with their kind, with the clan that was now her responsibility, having been the only child of the old matriarch… But she never get to hate Scar. He was different from any other lion. He wasn't a brainless who would kill them at first sight. Scar maybe made fun of them most of the time, he was cruel with his forked tongue, but she didn't care. He wasn't like that at the beginning, and knew the reasons why he became bitter, even towards them, and she forgave everything of him. Because even with all that, Scar was the only lion who ever listened to them. And that was something.

She knew Scar was always compared to his brother, Mufasa. Never with good intention, of course. People tended to think best of the golden lion than her friend. Why? Honestly, she had no idea. Maybe Mufasa was brawnier, stronger and had so much power in his presence than any other male of his kind, but she didn't care about all that; in fact, those were things that made her hate him even more, because they reminded her of Ahadi, the father of Mufasa.

She shook her head, not wanting to remember that monster. He was dead, as he always deserved to be. He wasn't a problem anymore… But Mufasa was. That lion was exactly as his father… He brought them suffer, he let them starve to death, not caring about their pups. Scar was different. Yes, he was cold as ice itself, but that wasn't a synonym of evil. She was very distant when she wanted to, and didn't see herself a the devil himself…

Scar was cleverer than his brother, could listen, didn't have any prejudices filling his mind, and he could be compassionate when you gave him a lot, lot, lot, lot, lot of reasons (that was more than Mufasa never showed them). Of course they preferred him over that haughty King!

"Where are your brothers?" asked the lion all of a sudden.

"They went to try to hunt something" she replied.

"With good reason this is so quiet today" Scar pointed out. "Thought I've already told you you weren't supposed to go to the gorge to hunt" he added, looking at the hyena with a frown.

"Pf… Try to follow that when you have seventy tiresome complaining about how hungry they are" said Shenzi, gritting her teeth. "We've been starving lately! More than ever. Things are getting out of paw, we need food as well"

"I know. That is why I arrange with you that _I_ will bring you food from time to time, and also helped you to get to the waterhole" said the lion calmly.

"And I thank you for that, but let's be serious, portions you gave us frequently are not enough for a whole hyena clan" she said, sighing, and then rested her head on her paws.

"I know already. But it's also less risky" said the lion, watching her carefully.

"Risky…" repeated Shenzi. Her features slowly began to show the fury she felt. "When I think about those stinky lions living the great life… There in their fucking kingdom, safe and sound! With their healthy and spoiled cubs!" she complained, hitting the ground with one paw. Then, she pinned her ears, and with a nervous giggle, added: "I wasn't talking about you, of course"

"I know…" said the lion, cocking an eyebrow. It had passed a lot of time since the last time he saw Shenzi losing her composure like that. For sure, she couldn't take the situation any longer, and he couldn't blame her.

"And now that snobbish King had a son that will be as snobbish as him if not more" she kept complaining under her breath.

Scar couldn't help but make a face at that reminder: "Do not talk about my brother today in front of me" he warned.

"Brotherly fight, again?" she asked, scratching behind her ear.

"When don't I have one?" asked Scar rolling his eyes.

"Man, I don't know how you can stand that being" she commented stretching out. "You didn't go to that presentation, right?" she asked.

"What do you think?"

"I don't know. I'm not usually right about my thoughts…"

"No, Shenzi, I didn't" answered Scar sighing tired. "And my brother noticed it and didn't lose time to come to me with that annoying bird of his"

"Oh, yeah, that stooge…" said Shenzi with a laugh. "Something tells me he tastes awful"

"I can assure you that" muttered Scar.

"What?"

"Nothing…"

"Bah, I'm sure your brother would forget the 'offense' once he sees there is nobody else who would want to keep an eye on his brat" she said, shaking her paw in the air.

Scar's ears lifted up at that comment. Yes. His brother loved to use him, he always did it, and for sure when he began to see how tiring a cub could be he would ask him for watch him. No. He would _order_ him to watch him. Sarabi wouldn't like it, but she was starting to tolerate him more, and Mufasa had gained a weak spot, finally. And he could use it in his own benefit. A wicked smile appeared on his features, something that called the hyena's attention easily.

"I know that glare" she said, interested. "Now, what's inside that mind of yours?"

"Something that would benefit me and you as well" he answered.

"Oh, now I want to hear it" said Shenzi, sharing his expression.

"My brother had been bless not with a son but with a weakness. A very obvious one, even if he has not seen it himself yet" he began to explain. "Nothing hurt a parent more than the pain of one of their children. I know that pretty well" a faint sparkle of sorrow appeared in his emeralds, but Shenzi was silent as it faded away as fast as it appeared. "Cubs are always in the middle of a mess, we only have to play carefully with that… Accidents happen" he said, getting up and heading to the exit of the Graveyard.

Shenzi glued her eyes to him: "Just tell us what we have to do and we will" she said. "You know they will obey me, no matter what. And, at this rate, I'd do whatever it takes"

"Knew you will…"

And with no more words, she saw the lion leaving. She was being sincere, she didn't care if she had to kill others' children to have what she wanted. Did the King ever care about the parents of her clan? No. So, she was going to give him a taste of his own medicine. And she will enjoy at as well. A smile appeared on her face. She was in better mood knowing finally Scar was going to take the first step. She had been waiting for it a very long time…

"At least some action!" a male voice commented from behind.

"Fisi…" muttered Shenzi in annoyance.

She took a look with the corner of her eyes, seeing the male hyena getting closer to her. He could be easily differentiated by his slimmer figure in comparison with the rest and also by the several marks he showed in his snout and back. She made a face of disgust. She never stood him…

"I was starting to think you would need to watch one hundred pups dying to finally convince him" he said seating beside her.

Shenzi got a bit separated, wrinkling her nose. "Be careful with that confidence…"

"Pft…"

"And I didn't convince anyone. Scar is going to do it because he wants to, as Mother predicted" she added, putting one paw on the top of the other.

"About damned time… Don't know why we had to wait until _he_ decides and orders us. We alone could…" he began to complain.

Shenzi rolled her eyes, knowing what he would say, and she wasn't in the mood for it: "We alone only have the number, he had the brain and the trust of that flimsy King" not wanting to keep going with the conversation, she got up. "He will help us to enter the kingdom once and for all. That's what we wanted. And both my mother and I fought too much to lose the opportunity for an imprudence, so mind my words, Fisi: do not _dare_ to do something without my permission" she warned baring her teeth at him.

"I wouldn't dream of disobeying our dear matriarch…" said the hyena, taking a bow in a mockery manner.

Shenzi saw it, but decided to ignore it: "Good"

Then, she turned around. They were close, closer than ever. They couldn't make a false move now. The Pridelands would be theirs as well, as it always had to be.

* * *

 **All Hail King Scar: Thank you! Hope you liked it!**

 **Handy Dandy: Don't worry, I love your informations =) Thank you!**

 **Undergrowth: Honestly, I never cared about that "family" thing, not even when I was little. They are lions, anyway XD! Even we human used to marry our cousins long time ago (I don't know if some cultures that still happens). I don't like incest, but it was part of History, and when it's about animals... I don't like to write it either, that was why I made Nala and Fina from another pride, but, yes, it kinda... weird as they are humanize XD. (And let's not talk about Kovu and Kiara case...)**

 **Jack905: Thank you!**

 _ **Sursum corda!**_


	3. The seed of hatred

**CHAPTER 3:**

" _ **The seed of hatred"**_

Keeping an eye on all the animals was his job, and he always did it content. He wasn't the loyal majordomo of the King for anything! Zazu loved his job, he loved to do it correctly and he hated when he fail the King. Mufasa and him were a team. Becoming closer as the years passed by, the golden lion didn't doubt in making him second in command when he ascended to the throne, and Zazu felt it as a great honour. His mother had been the adviser of King Ahadi along with Rafiki in life, and she taught him that one day he will take her place. At first, Zazu wasn't interested, especially when he met Mufasa for the first time.

Now, it seemed ironic to say that the hornbill never liked Mufasa when both were children. At first, the Prince acted as he really thought to be above everybody else, and never let an occasion escape to remind the rest of the world of his status. Zazu never liked that personality, in anybody. Ahadi, the deceased father and old Lion King, raised his son with that mentality, succeeding in making the cub believe he was more than anyone thanks to the crown that one day will be his. So, when his mother, Zuzu, told him he would take her place as the royal majordomo, Zazu couldn't have been less pleased.

On the contrary of his actual self, Zazu skipped the lessons his mother tried to teach him, making her angry a few times. But he wasn't interested in being anything that had something to do with the Prince or his family. Mufasa would order him around without caring about his opinion, would pick on him, bully him. Just like Ahadi mistreated his poor mother. Zuzu always tried to do her best to please the old King, but nothing seemed enough for Ahadi. And, of course, he didn't doubt in making hurtful remarks about the way she had done her job. And, as a son, that hurt him deeply, and a lot of times he bit his tongue, more due to fear than respect, it had to be said.

With Uru everything was different. The mother of Mufasa and Scar was gentle, pure, quiet, kind and very positive. She could see the good in everyone, and always had something nice to say about everything. By her side, anyone could breathe peace. And so, Zuzu was happy when the King was out to watch the borders or had a meet with the others leaders of different species, and Uru was left alone with her other cub. Because when she said the report to her, she felt comfortable, and Uru made sure she praised the bird enough to encourage her to go on with her job. And Zazu also was glad to know the King and his son were out, so he could spend time in the royal den with the Queen and her other son.

Zazu made a face. Scar wasn't the same. When he was a cub, he was as kind and joyful as his mother once was, but when he grew he became bitter. Maybe he had his reasons, but of course, he thought they weren't enough to transform him in that beast unable to feel. Now, being close to Scar mean to be hurt with his comments, just as Ahadi did in life, and he hated to be near him as his small head began to be full with bitter memories about his mother. The other one who changed a lot was Mufasa. After the loss of his parents – especially his father, who he was closer to – Mufasa changed. But, this time, in a good way.

When Uru died, Zazu felt sad, but he couldn't imagine what Mufasa was feeling at the time, being just a cub, with just a bunch of red hair on the top of his head which, in the future, would became his now red and thick mane. The following day, they started to talk for real. The bird wasn't stupid, he went to talk to the Prince when Ahadi wasn't around, the next morning. Mufasa, for the first time, refused to go with his father to watch the border, a thing that became a habit without any of them noticing it until it was too late to try to convince him to go out the den. Zazu landed beside him, and asked him if he was feeling fine. And, for the first time, he saw the Prince breaking in front of him. There was no trace of the boastful prince, all his cockiness was gone, letting him see the real afraid cub Mufasa was inside.

Lost in the world without his caring mother and a cold-hearted father who didn't know how to help his son, Zazu became a fundamental pillar along with Sarabi, his mate and now Queen and mother of his son and heir. Both became the closer ones to the Prince, they helped him through it all. Mufasa lost his cheerful being, his playful side, but no one said a word. They didn't think it was their problem, anyway, and the were all taught how to act in front of a royal lion. Asking him about his change of mood and personality would be a lack of respect, and neither him or Sarabi wanted to enrage the Prince or, worse, the King.

Landing on a near rock, Zazu sighed, tired of spending the whole morning flying above the whole kingdom to make sure everything was under control. But he gave the hint of a smile when he came to the conclusion that it was better this way. If he was bored, it meant everything was in peace and calm, and his feline friend wouldn't have to fight against any enemies or solve any problems; and he was happy knowing today the King would spend another peaceful day along with his mate and son.

Suddenly, a noise sounded behind his backs. Turning around, he looked over the grass in front of him. Frowning, he saw or heard nothing else, and so he thought he had imagined it. Or maybe it was that mole again, trying to call his attention… or just doing the fool. He couldn't know for real. Lots of time he had been alarmed seeing that being going in circles just for fun… He rolled his eyes, and decided to wait a bit, to see if there was something he had to be told. And then, unexpectedly, he was pounced to the ground.

His fall made the dust to come to his eyes and throat, making him cough a bit. And he felt afraid, not knowing who was his attacker. However, when his sight was fixed again, he saw a golden lion cub looking at him with amusement in his red orbs. The cub began to laugh when he saw how irritated he made the bird, and get off him.

"You should've seen your face, Zazu!" commented the lion with his childish voice.

"Simba…!" said the bird, flying a few centimetres from the ground, agitated.

"You had such a funny expression!" kept saying the cub.

Zazu frowned more at that, and opened his beak to speak, but a deep and hoarse voice asked from behind: "What is happening here?". Thereafter, the bird looked back, seeing the big and golden Lion King standing, watching them both with a wee smile, and a cocked eyebrow.

"So?" he asked , lowing a bit his head. "What is so funny?"

"Just… one of his so many pounces, sir…" answered the majordomo, sighing at the end.

"Dad! I surprised him!" said the Prince, running to his father, happy.

"Simba, how many times do I have to tell you to not scare Zazu?" said Mufasa with a faked severe expression.

The bird flew to the King's face level: "I was _not_ scared…" lied the hornbill.

"Of course you were!" contradicted Simba, frowning.

"How do you expect me not to be when I didn't notice you were near?" asked the majordomo, upset.

"You didn't notice he was here?" asked Mufasa, looking at his son a bit surprised. "You are really improving then, Simba!" he congratulated.

The Prince lifted his head, proud of himself, and a rapid flashback of how Mufasa used to be appeared in Zazu's mind. It had passed four moons since the Prince's birth, and it such a short time, the little cub had demonstrated how much he resembled his father when this one was just a cub of his age. In appearance, Mufasa was brawnier than his son – and than any other cub he had known – and he had the beginning of his red mane. Simba didn't have any and his true strength wasn't shown in his muscles. But with that blow he had suffered not too long ago he could say, without a shadow of a doubt, that this lion would be as strong as his father one day.

"Zazu, sir!" someone called from behind. Turning around, he saw the messenger mole.

"Fuko, something's wrong?" asked the hornbill worried when he saw the expression his friend brought.

Zazu listened to the mole attentively, his features wrinkling with angst as he heard the news. _Mufasa is not going to like this_ … With a respectful bow, he said goodbye to the messenger and turned around, seeing the King having a cheerful conversation with his son. He knew how much they enjoyed their company and the strong bond father and son shared. He hated to be the one who broke one of their few moments they could spend together.

"Your Majesty" he said, flying in front of the monarch. "Fuko has just come, he had some news that concerns you"

He saw Mufasa easily sensed he wasn't enjoying the moment, and preoccupied, asked: "What happened, Zazu?"

Zazu looked down, seeing Simba looking at him carefully, interested in what he was about to say. He swallowed. He didn't want to say it in front of the young Prince, so he decided to just say the important thing: "Lord Jelani wants to talk to you, and requires your presence in his lands"

As he expected, Mufasa frowned showing his discomfort. Simba seemed to notice as well, but, surprisingly, remained silent. He had learnt when he wasn't supposed to speak, and that was a relief.

"I can go with you" purposed the bird.

That made the King smile slightly: "I know I can count on you, but…" his eyes fell on the cub, who was looking at his father, tilting his head.

"You have to go now?" asked the Prince with a frown.

Zazu saw the monarch tightening his chin at the little cub's question: "Yes, Simba, it seems important" he answered calmly.

"Can I go with you?" asked the cub smiling again.

"No" was the rapid and firm answer the bigger lion gave, making the little one pin his ears. "You have to stay here. Go and play with your friends while I'm out; I promise you I'll be back soon" said the King, passing to nuzzle his son with affection. To his relief, Simba gave the gesture back. "Come on, Zazu, Jelani is not a patient animal" said the monarch, still with one paw on his son's back.

The hornbill smiled when he saw the Prince understood, and nodded at the King's remark: "You can bet…"

Both animals left, leaving the young lion alone, watching them go. Zazu looked behind one last time before pay his whole attention to what Mufasa was speaking. Once the King turn his back on the child, this one showed how he really felt. A bit of sadness mixed up with bore shone in his eyes, and the majordomo felt bad for the cub. Simba was a nuisance for him most of the time, with his boisterous way of being, but that didn't mean he didn't like the child and feel pity of him when these things happened.

He never saw Mufasa with that expression – when he still had his whole family with him, of course – but that was because, since he was little he was taught the lessons a young Prince had to know to become King in the future. However, for unknown reasons, Mufasa wasn't teaching his son anything. The one and only time he had seen him teaching something to Simba was how to pounce on an animal, and since then he had to suffer the constant surprises of the cub. But Mufasa never talked about the manners or acting of a King to his son. Sarabi saw it as well as the rest of the pride, but none of them said anything – at least, in front of Mufasa – and he didn't think he was the one who had to bring up the topic. Mufasa was smart, and also a good father and leader. He knew what he was doing. For sure.

* * *

Simba watched his father and Zazu leave, and when he saw he wasn't been seen anymore, he let his smile fade away. _He never let me go to anywhere!_ he complained inside his mind. It was strange that him and his father spend time together, and, above all, it was shocking to see him giving him any lessons. Simba had been explained that, once his father's reign ended, he will be the King. It was his mother who explained that to him, with a tender smile, the only one she always gave him. And since that day Simba dreamt about himself being the King, ordering everybody around, and being adored, just like his father was. He was dying to be the next ruler of the Pridelands, but, even if he was little, he knew his father would have to teach him all he knew, and that seemed like an impossible mission.

Not only because he was always busy with something going on in the kingdom, but also because he seemed to refuse to explain anything to him. Mufasa wasn't cold, but still Simba felt him distant. It was like there were a wall between them that separated him from his father, and he hated it. He loved to spend time with his father, and he wished that one day he would talk to him as his mother did. Sarabi spent most of the time with him, being still too little to go out all by himself. She used to be with the rest of lionesses, especially the ones with cubs of their own, which were the whole pride except from one lioness, Naanda. She seemed to not be interested in children, and so, his friends and him tried to be far away from her, as she was also very serious and bad-tempered. She didn't seem to be very popular among the other adults, either…

Then, there was Sarafina, who was the mother of his best friend, Nala. Both lionesses shared the same cream colour in their pelts and clear blue eyes. Nala was a few weeks older than him, and was also the oldest of the whole group, and maybe because of that she sometimes acted as the older sister, something that could irritated the Prince easily. One moon after, as his mother told him, Tojo was born, and a few weeks after, Tama. Both being pole opposites. Tojo possessed the same pelt colour of his mother, Diku, but his eyes, to the contrary of the red orbs of the lioness', were dark blue. As his mother, he was very shy and sensitive over sudden changes of weather, and so he fell ill easily.

And Tama, just like her mother Dwala, had orange eyes but her fur was lighter than her mother's. But both lionesses demonstrated to have a big and dangerous temper when they were annoyed by someone, letting everybody see they didn't have a lot of patience either. But, in the end, they were good with their friends and loyal, just with a difficulty to show their true feelings and express them. Tama and him always had a fight, for whatever reason, because both of them shared the obstinacy. Most of the times, Nala and Tojo saw themselves trying to calm them down, and when they saw it was useless, they decided to watch them fight. _It had to be entertaining_ , Simba thought. Then, a smile appeared in his features once again. _I enjoy when Mum and Dad argue, they are so hilarious!_ he laughed a bit.

"Simba!" a female voice called from behind.

"Nala" he said when he turned around, and saw the lioness gasping for air. A bit worried, asked: "Are you alright? You look tired"

"Yes… I'm fine… It's just…" a break to take in some air. "Buf… It's just that I've been looking for you" she answered.

"Why?"

"We were going to go out playing…"

"Without me?" interrupted Simba.

Nala looked at him with a bored expression: "I was about to look for you…"

"Good"

"… … When Tojo tripped over his own paws and fell rolling down Pride Rock" she finished, half-closing her eyes for her friend's attitude.

"Oh, is he okay?" asked Simba.

"Don't know. I left to find you while Tama and Diku were where Rafiki's" she explained.

Both cubs began to trot in the direction they knew the old baboon lived: "Let's keep him company, then. I've got nothing else to do" said Simba.

"He's so lucky to have you as a friend!" commented Nala with a bit of sarcasm and looking at the Prince with a frown.

* * *

The baobab Rafiki lived in was immense. With thousands of leaves and hundreds of thick branches, Simba always felt littler than he already was each time he went to visit the monkey. Rafiki, as he had heard, had been living in the Pridelands with his family long ago, being already the advisor of his grandfather. Unlike the rest of the shamans that existed before him, he hadn't descendants, and sometimes Simba thought what would happen once the old baboon was gone for good and who would take his place. _What if I can't count with his help when I'm King?_ wondered the cub, crest-fallen. _Rafiki is such a good animal… I don't know what we'd all do without him_ …

"Oh, Tojo!" he heard his friend saying with a concern tone, waking him up from his daydreaming.

They had finally arrived to the place where Rafiki used to look after the animals in need. Simba saw the giant nest made of leaves and little branches the old shaman made long ago for his patients to rest. This time, Tojo was in there, with his right rear leg covered in some big leaves that Rafiki used as bandages, with two sticks at both sides to maintain it straight. Simba saw Nala ran to their friend's side, looking at him up and down. Beside the lion, Tama stood, looking at Nala with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you alright? Does it hurt too much?" asked the blue-eyed lioness.

"He broke his leg" answered Tama for the cub when she saw his face all red due to shame.

"Poor thing" said Nala, pinning her ears.

Simba made a face and got closer to them: "He must be used to it. He's always falling" he commented.

"Simba!" reprehended the oldest cub.

"He's right, Nala, don't worry…" said Tojo with tiny voice. "I'm so clumsy…" he added, a bit ashamed of himself.

"It wasn't the time to say such a comment, though" said Tama, looking at Simba with the corner of her eye. The Prince just dedicated her an annoyed glare.

"Oh, well, what is this?" said a kind voice all of a sudden. "I turn around one second and then one cub is multiplied for four"

All the cubs looked up, seeing the shaman of the kingdom in one of the limbs. "Rafiki!" they all said smiling.

The old baboon descended to their same level, laughing loudly. "Glad to see you, little ones!" he greeted, caressing their heads. "Coming for a visit?"

"Yes"

"You are a lucky one, Tojo"

"Lucky, me?" said the cub with a sad expression. "I will have to spend weeks without moving because I'm klutz!" he complained.

"But in your time of need you are surrounded by your friends" commented Rafiki, taking a seat beside him. "It's in these kind of situations when you know who truly cares for you"

"You always say so many interesting things, Rafiki!" said Nala, impressed.

"Ah, it's just the voice of the experience, young one" he explained, stroking the cream pelt lioness.

"No doubts why my father always resort to you when he needs help" commented Simba aloud.

"Talking about him, where is he?" asked the shaman, looking everywhere.

A bit more down, the Prince answered: "He had to go to the cheetahs' lands. Something happened"

"Oh, is that so?" asked the monkey with a frown. "I hope is not something bad" he said more to himself than to any of them.

"Dad seemed… upset about going there" said Simba all of a sudden. Looking up again, he asked: "Rafiki, do you know why my father always act like that each time he's talked about the cheetahs?"

"Yes, my mother acts just like that" commented Tama all of a sudden.

"Mine too" said Tojo, resting on one side.

"Well, it's not that surprising, considering that cheetahs and lions do not get along nowadays" said Rafiki without thinking. When he realised those words were spoken and not only thought, he clapped one hand over his mouth.

"What?" all the cubs said in unison.

 _Now I've done it…_ thought the baboon, biting his bottom lip. "Nothing. Listen…"

"What do you mean?" interrupted Tama.

Rafiki looked at the four infants, waiting for an answer. He sighed. "Listen, children, I don't think you're supposed to…"

"Please?" they all asked at the same times showing him big puppy eyes.

The baboon made a face and sighed once again: "You'll have to promise me you won't tell your parents I told you this at such an early age" he said, raising his index finger.

"Promised!" the four cubs said, nodding.

Rafiki was convinced by that, and nodded as well: "It happened long ago, before you were even born… Or your parents" he began to explain.

"Ooh…" said the cubs impressed at that information.

"It was in times of your great-grandfather's reign, Simba" said the baboon, pointing at the Prince.

"Mohatu?" asked Simba tilting his head.

"Exactly" said the monkey with a smile. "Back then, I was only a teen, and my father, Kujali, was the advisor of King Mohatu…"

"Wait" interrupted Tama. "You were a teen when his grandpa was King?" she asked, pointing at Simba.

"Yes" answered Rafiki.

"How old are you, actually?"

"Old enough to distinguish a meddler when I'm in front of one" he answered, offended.

"Sorry, sorry…" said the cub, raising her paws on the defensive.

"Alright, where was I? Oh, yes… Mohatu had just ascended to the throne due to his father's death, and the first thing he had to face was a drought"

"What a bad luck…" commented Tojo.

"My father tried to alerted the lions about it, but Ushajaa, Mohatu's father, kept saying nothing wrong will happen. He seemed very sure of it. However, it was his son the one who suffered for his excess of confidence" explained the baboon. "Thank to the Heavens, Mohatu had a very intelligent mate, who he adored and loved more than anything in the world"

"Great-grandmother Fikira!" said Simba with a smile.

"Correct again, young prince!" congratulated Rafiki. "Fikira helped him to find a solution to the drought, ration the amount of water each animal should drink, and saying that their kind would be the last one to get their share, as a sign of consideration to the their subjects"

"Nice" said Nala smiling.

"Did it work?" asked Simba.

"Yes. But the real problem came after the drought was over" said Rafiki, feeling a bit uncomfortable at the memory.

"How?" asked Tojo confused.

They saw the baboon took a time before restart talking. In such a short period of time, Simba was able to see the sadness his eyes reflected. And it was pretty odd to see Rafiki showing any other emotion that wasn't happiness or quietness. The change of mood of the shaman made the Prince feel down again.

"A few months after, when everything was coming back to normal… Mohatu and Fikira had to take care of the squabbles that began to occur between the cheetahs and the lions" he explained. His sight was glued to the ground, forgetting he was surrounded by curious and innocent kids who haven't seen any of that tragedy, who didn't know anything about the actual rivalry of species that existed. "Cheetahs and lions are in constant conflict because of the food. Usually, the lions succeed in having more food because they used to steal from other animals; at least, that happened like this until both species came to an agreement to maintain the peace between the two prides. But when the drought arrived, most of the herbivores left to find water in other lands, and so the hunting became more difficult in that period of time. Having two groups of predators didn't help. And it has to be added that the lions, as their species are the more powerful in the Pridelands, used to be given the food in sign of respect" Rafiki passed a hand through his face. "And that began to annoy the cheetahs, until the day they burst. Mahali, the leader of the cheetah pride back then, and his mate, Hasira, went to talk to the King about their problem, but, as Hasira had such a bad temper that became worse with her family's situation and Mohatu had an ease to feel offended, both rulers had a heated argument in which the King told them they were free to go"

"Doesn't that sound as if he exiled them?" asked Nala, wrinkling her features.

"It wasn't his intention, but you're right, because Mahali and Hasira thought the same" said Rafiki, sad.

"Is that why they are so angry with us?" asked Simba suddenly. "Are they still offended for a misunderstood?"

"I wish it was only because of that, Simba…" said Rafiki, shaking his head. "The case is… after your great-grandfather and Hasiri had the argument, that night, a fire occurred"

All the cubs gasped in unison. "Was everybody alright?" asked Nala concerned.

Rafiki took a bit before answering. "No. Not everybody" he replied with sincerity. "It could be extinguish rapidly thanks to the elephant's help, but none of them were fast enough to help the little daughter of the cheetah couple"

Nala pinned her ears, and with teary eyes, asked: "What do you mean? She wasn't saved?" she saw the baboon shaking his head in denial, and she began to sob.

Simba looked at his friend with worry, and put a paw on her back. "Poor Mahali and Hasira" he commented.

"Mahali was sad, but Hasira was also pretty angry. She thought it was the lions who started the fire" explained Rafiki, petting Nala's head, in an attempt to make her feel better.

"Why would she think something like that?" asked Tojo confused.

"Maybe because she thought they did to make them leave finally" said Tama.

"Aha" Rafiki nodded his head.

"Was that true? Was a warning that went out of paw?" asked the Prince.

"No, Simba, once the couple of cheetahs were gone of the den after the argument, your great-grandmother talked with Mohatu and calmed him down, and so the King promised her and himself that the following morning he would go to talk to them and try to come to a new agreement, just for everybody" explained the baboon.

"Then, it's a pity" commented Simba.

"Rafiki!" a female voice said, considerably upset.

Turning their heads to the right, the cubs and the shaman saw the Queen of the Pridelands standing at the other side of the tree, with a severe expression. Simba felt Nala trying to wiping her tears, and he decided to put in front of her so his mother wouldn't see her crying.

"I recall you've been told to never tell that story again, and less to young cubs!" Sarabi ticked off.

"Don't be mad at him, Mum, we asked him" said Simba rapidly, getting up in defence of the shaman.

"Yes, it was our fault" supported Tama, getting up as well.

Sarabi looked at the four cubs looking at her with pleading eyes, and she sighed, finally softening up her features. "Either you asked him or not, it was not a good thing to on his behalf" explained the Queen. "I don't like you hearing those kind of stories, you're still too little"

"It wasn't a big deal, anyway" commented Tama, shrugging. "It was entertaining"

"And it cleared up our doubts" added Nala, sniffing a bit. "It was sad, but useful in the end"

Rafiki got up and approached the monarch, taking a bow: "I'm sorry, Sarabi, I thought they deserved to know" he saw the Queen making a face, still not agreeing, and, in a whisper he added: "You know the ignorance has a great weight, especially in future generations"

At that, Sarabi seemed to be more relaxed, and the shining in her red orbs faded away: "You're right" she finally said, passing him by. "Still, that's enough for today. The hunting party has arrived and the cubs need to eat. Besides, your mother wants to be with you, Tojo" she added looking at the injured kid. "Are you feeling any better?" she asked, checking on him with a rapid glare. Feeling uncomfortable with the Queen's attention, Tojo could just nodded. "Good. Let's go, then. You must be hungry" she said, this time with a smile.

Simba looked at his mother carefully. He knew her very well, and was able to tell when his mother was smiling for real or was just faking. This time, the second option won: "Dad is not here, Mum, he had to leave" he told her.

"Oh? Where?" she asked, helping Tojo to get on his feet.

"To see Jelani, he had something to tell him" he explained, shrugging.

"I see… Simba, remember, it's _lord_ Jelani; he's not your friend" the Queen reminded her son, serious.

"Yes, Mum, sorry…" said the Prince, lowering his glare.

"If Mufasa is out, we'll have to wait. We can't start eating without the male" she said to herself. Sighing, she added: "He could at least let me know…"

Sarabi helped, along with Tama, Tojo in walking. They said goodbye to Rafiki and began to walk back to Pride Rock. Slowly but steady. And, in the way back, Simba's head was full of thoughts, he couldn't even hear the conversation between the girls and his mother about how the hunting were. Now that he knew why his parents were never pleased in having a meeting with Jelani and his mate, but still couldn't understand why. That happened long ago, it was a misunderstood. And the little Prince could only think one thing: _how long can hatred and rancour live in someone's heart?_

* * *

 **All Hail King Scar: Thank you! Ukaidi will appear in here as well, just that later on =)**

 **Handy-Dandy: Aw, I'm glad they made butterflies in your stomach, one of the sweetest things someone ever told me about any story of mine u/u. Batili, Nyeti and Ujinga will appear as well, but not as jackals but as wild dogs as you and some people suggested. So, thank you for making me improve in that and helping me, it was very nice on your part. Jackals look so cute and smart then XD. Thanks for the hyenas information!**

 **Alaska's bitch: Wow! Thank you!**

 **Canadian Carrot: First of all, thank you for expressing your opinion in a respectful manner. I will never get tired of saying that I count that a lot when somebody talk to me about something they like or not like. To be honest, I wasn't going to put swearing at first, just light ones, but then I thought... Swears exist in real world, they are used and, even if we like it or not, are used. A lot sometimes. Where I live is very common to hear/read them in novels, TV shows, cartoons that are for juvenile audience. I rated this story - and all of mine, actually - in T because of this and the violence and darkness of the stories that I write. Besides of that, I have to admit that I am not thinking while I'm writing. I checked the work written once I finish, and then decide what I want to be there or not (a lot of times so much mistakes are unseen, though... XD). Please, do not think I'm offended or I'm trying to be rude, sadly when something's written sounds more rude that it's intended. Again, I'm glad you let me know your opinion, because I admire people who speak their minds being kind, and that was your case, I'm only explaining why I do it the way I do it, don't worry =) And, thank you also for saying you like it that much. I tried to write those scenes in a way that the character's actions in the movie would sound logical, and your review really warmed my heart! ^^!**

 **I would like to make a question... I'm usually confused at the time to use the word "pride" and "pack". I used "pride" to talk about the cheetahs groups, but, is that the word? Could someone please explain which one is used in which animals? Thank you!**

 **Mohatu = I think it means "saviour". I read that somewhere. However, in the Lion King wikia, there was no meaning.  
Kujali = caring  
Fikira = consideration  
Mahali = spot  
Hasira = rage**

 _ **Sursum corda!**_


	4. In the dark of the night

**CHAPTER 4:**

" _ **In the dark of the night"**_

Nimbus gathered upon Tanzania, creating a blanket of gloominess that was about to reach the Pridelands. Mufasa looked up, frowning slowly when he thought it was about to rain soon. He knew he would come back home wet, but he hoped he wouldn't return soaked to the pelt. The lands where the cheetahs decided to establish their new home was near the borders of the kingdom, and so, when they went to hunt they did it beyond the borders that were his family's property. And that made Mufasa unable to complain or control any of their moves, because those lands weren't his.

Mufasa would never admit that aloud, but he hated to not be able to control something. When he thought about the fact that the cheetahs hunted out of his kingdom and he hadn't a say, he became enraged. He felt it like a lack of respect to who he was, who his father wanted him to be. He knew the story of his kind and the spotted ones, but still, Mufasa never cared too much. He believed in forget and forgive certain things. If those cheetahs kept hating lions for something that happened in times of his grandfather, none of the two packs would ever have peace.

Ahadi had always an iron paw when it came to those felines. He wasn't as severe as he was with the outcasts, but it was clear he never tolerated cheetahs that well either. One mistake, and he wouldn't think twice before acting, not caring about the consequences. His father never underwent any. He was the Lion King, and acted always with wisdom and thinking in the welfare of his pride. Mufasa was raised to be like that too. And so, the attitude of the cheetahs riled him. He didn't want to go to meet Jelani that day. The weather wasn't helping either.

Raising his vision, he saw the clouds getting darker, and now that he was focus on the things around him again, he felt the fine raindrops that began to fall from the sky, landing on the top of his face. He didn't have more option that trot to arrive at the place sooner. Because the sooner he get there, the sooner he could leave. At each step he took, he started to feel a heaviness in his chest. A sort of general uneasiness. That didn't aided him to show up in Jelani's territory.

Slowing down and shaking his head to the sides in an useless attempt to dry his mane, he was in the lands the cheetahs called home. A sudden stifling attacked him, making him to want to turn around and go back home, taking advantage that no one saw him. But it was his obligation to be there. In times of his father, Ahadi sent Zuzu or any other lioness to talk to the old leader of the pack; now, Mufasa wanted things to be different. When he ascended to the throne, he promised himself that he would try to be there when any animal needed him. He would show his face and provide his presence in his subjects in need.

Something was odd about the heaviness the air possessed there. His shoulders felt like he was trying to carry something really weighty, even when he had nothing at all on his backs. Mufasa scrutinised the place, seeing the dense and tall grass that decorated the spotted ones' home. Cheetahs liked to live in places like that, to be hidden, to see without being seen. He never liked that habit of them, and he wrinkled his snout, in discontent. He thought about announcing his arrival – reluctantly, of course, _they_ called him, the less they could do was to wait for him instead of letting him there, standing and waiting as he had all the day for them only – but just when he take one step forwards, he heard and saw the grass moving. Mkali appeared.

She was one of the few – if not the only one – cheetahs that he liked. She knew how to behave and to maintain the composure, and he liked those attributes. But it would never matter how well you were trained and taught to conceal your emotions and have them under control, you would always have a beating heart inside your chest, and two eyes which will reflect how your soul is feeling. And in the scarlet eyes of the female cheetah the sorrow and unease were pretty clear.

"Your majesty" she said with a smile very forced. Mufasa became curious and worried then. Mkali usually had a potent and authoritarian tone of voice; now it was very fragile, as if it was about to break in any moment. Taking a bow, the cheetah added: "I'm so glad you arrived this fast"

The King scrutinized the cheetah with his ruby eyes: "What is wrong, Mkali?" he asked with caution.

"Please, accompany me" she simply said, without looking at him in the eyes. Mufasa didn't pay attention to it. He wanted to know what had happened to change Mkali's personality that much.

The lion followed the thinner animal in complete silence. Just a nod before start walking by her side. He had known Mkali in his youth. She was engaged with Jelani back then already, and it was more frequent to see her accompanying her future mate each time the male's father came to visit Ahadi when his pack had something to ask for. She had always being described as harsh by any animal who knew her; but the ones who were closest to her always said she had a tender side, something she only showed when she was with her loved ones. Maybe that was what Mufasa liked the most about Mkali, she was like him in that. In appearance: a rock, someone people trust blindly; in the inside: fragile and afraid as anyone else in the world, but nobody knew it, and they liked it that way.

Mkali stopped abruptly, waking the King up from his daydream. The cheetah didn't say a word, but he didn't need it. He knew he had to look forwards. The scent of several cheetahs filled his nostrils, and Mufasa made a face when a strange smell invaded his nose. An iron smell was staining the pure air; the raindrops, becoming less thin and more violent at hitting their pelts weren't enough to eliminate the smell. In fact, Mufasa was starting to feel it stronger. He knew that smell pretty well: it was blood. Fresh blood. His heart skipped a beat while he began to try to pass by the cheetahs, who were now riveting him, but he was able to ignore it. Some stepped aside when they saw it was the King himself, and bowed their heads in silence. In a normal situation, Mufasa would have imitated the gesture, but it was clear that today wasn't a normal day at all.

The King had to contain a gasp when he was in front of the reason of why everybody was so downcast. A male cheetah was landing on the ground, tinging with red the green grass beneath him. He was maybe the same age Jelani was; but, on the contrary of the leader of the pack, this cheetah was even slimmer and a bit smaller. His eyes were closed and a frown adorned his features, wrinkling his face and his whiskers were tensed. His pelt was adorned by the famous spots cheetahs were known from, but also by scratches and bites that stained his pelt; he had a paw on the top of his belly, where, Mufasa supposed, there was the worst injury and the one which had covered the grass in red. He doubted that poor animal would survive if he hadn't attention as soon as possible. Mufasa clicked his tongue when he remembered himself telling Zazu he could go home. Someone had to tell Sarabi she was allowed to take the first bite so the pride could eat in case he was late. And now he knew he was going to be, but still the bird's presence would be welcome. That thought became stronger in his mind when he felt Jelani's orange eyes on the top of him.

Honouring his more than famous bad temper, the leader of the pack was in front of him in two strides, looking at him with fire in his eyes. Mufasa could even feel his soul burning by the irascible glare.

"What happened?" asked the King calmly.

"Kwenja has been attacked today, in the middle of the hunting" explained Jelani, coarse.

It sounded as an accusation more than an information, a thing that both Mufasa and Mkali noticed. The lion decided to let it go that day, especially when he looked over the injured animal for the second time and saw a younger female crying, being supported by other two females. With them, a small and scared Utamu was, with ears pinned while she looked at the wounded animal. She always reminded him of his son. He wouldn't want to see Simba so afraid, and he felt a small sharp in his heart. He had to hurry in take the animal to a safer place than this, where his wounds would be healed and treated as he needed. The baobab where Rafiki lived appeared in his mind. It wasn't too far away, but it would take a bit to arrive there with one of them unable to move by himself. They didn't have time to argue. Mkali, unfortunately, didn't think the same.

"Control your tongue, Jelani, he is the only one who can help us with this" the cheetah reprimanded her mate; the sadness that once adorned her face was now replaced by fury.

"He is the one who could've prevented this tragedy" he blurted out, baring his sharp teeth at the female.

Mufasa felt those words as a cold rain falling on his back; colder than the actual raindrops that were wetting his pelt: "He's gravely wounded, but he still can be saved. We just need to hurry" said the King calmly.

"Now you have knowledge in healing?" asked the male cheetah with a mocking tone. His mate dedicated him a death glare.

"No, but my shaman does. Rafiki is very good in his job and he will help Kwenja in a blink of an eye" said rapidly Mufasa.

It seemed like a fight of brats, trying to see who was better in having useful friends. Mufasa felt dirty. Someone was hurt, with people worried over him and an animal crying in case he would abandon this world. This wasn't time for these games and cutting remarks. But Jelani seemed to only know that way of talking.

"You know he is right" said Mkali stoic, lifting her chin. In less than a second, she had her temperance back.

Mufasa couldn't help but feel surprised by how fast Mkali could recover. Even if she was only pretending, it was fascinating. Jelani seemed to see the great effort his mate was doing to look strong, and sigh.

"Is your shaman too far?" he asked, in deeper and lower voice.

"His home is not too far away from here; but it would take us a bit, we have to be careful with him" said Mufasa, relieved.

"Do what you have to, Mufasa" said Mkali, walking to where Kwenja was lying.

She pushed her mate a bit when she was by his side, and Jelani immediately nodded. The two of them helped Kwenja to be on his feet. The cheetah let a growl escape his throat, painful. Mufasa trotted to be next to them and the leaders of the pack helped the injured one to be on the King's back. Mufasa could feel the warm blood running faster with the help of the rain on his pelt, but he didn't mind. When he was about to go as fast as he could to Rafiki's home, a broken female voice talked.

"I will go as well"

Turning around, Mufasa saw that the cheetah who talked was the one who had been crying since he arrived, and before he were even there. Some features were similar to the male on his back, but she was more classy than him. Even if her face was covered in tears that not even the rain could erase.

"Izu, don't" said Mkali rapidly. Her tone was firm, but in her eyes a shine of tenderness was seen.

The younger one shook her head with vehemence: "No! He's my brother! I will go!" she said, kicking the wet grass with one paw.

Mkali looked at her for a moment, lost in words and thoughts: "Please, stay…"

"No!" interrupted the younger one. "You're not leaving me here without him!"

"Let her come" intervened Mufasa all of a sudden. "She has the right as a sister" he added, starting to trot in the direction of the baobab.

Mufasa wasn't able to see the worried glare Mkali dedicated the young cheetah, and the irascible one Izu had in her lapis lazuli eyes.

* * *

"You told me it's been bothering you for days?"

"Yes"

"How often?"

"Sometimes"

"All of a sudden?"

A tired sigh: " _Yes_ "

"Does it hurt now?"

"No. A bit. Not too much"

"Does it hurt like that the other times?"

"No, the other times it was worse. Not unbearable, but worse"

"And are you sure you haven't damage it while hunting?"

"I'm sure. If I'm careful with only one thing in this life, it's with this"

The annoyance was clear in his voice. It had been since he came, but now, after being asked several questions of a matter he hated to talk about, it became clearer. Rafiki kept touching the mark that adorned the dark lion's left eye, carefully and slowly. It hadn't been opened. His pink colour gleamed even in the dark of a rainy night. It was the first thing everybody saw when he entered some place, the first thing that called your attention when you meet him, the mark that gave him his new name, his alias.

Scar wrinkled his mouth, containing himself for not bare his teeth at the shaman because of his touch. He hated to be touched, especially in that part of his face. The scar had been bothering him more than ever. And Rafiki was the only one who had his total trust when the thing was about his old wound.

"So, you're telling me it happens all of a sudden? You don't do anything?" asked the baboon once again, a frown in his face.

Scar growled: "No, I don't. I've told you five times already" complained the dark lion.

"Odd" was the only thing that Rafiki could comment.

Scar wasn't being sincere, and he sensed the shaman knew it deep inside. But he couldn't tell the whole truth. He couldn't confess him it happened each time he thought about how he could get rid of his brother once and for all. At first, he thought it was because there was still a part of him which didn't agree, but with time he was able to ignore it pretty well. Just when he thought he was free of that damned pain, it came back. But those times, he wasn't thinking of anything. It happened just like that, without doing nothing at all.

Sometimes he was resting in his personal den, and it appeared, making him close his eye in pure pain. He passed his paw upon it, and blinked a few times, and it disappeared. But as the days went by, that became insufficient.

"That wound has his own age, you know that…" commented Rafiki carefully.

"Yes, I do" interrupted Scar, tightening his chin. "It feels like it's been with me since I was born, actually" he added, with bitterness.

Rafiki was silent for a moment. "I could give you the same treatment I recommended you when you… When it appears" he said, turning around "Let me see if I can find some creams and brews that would erase that pain of yours" he said under his breath.

Scar wrinkled his nose once again. He still could remember the stink those creams possessed. He let another growl escape his throat, knowing he would have to put it on the mark if he wished to get rid of the annoyance once and for all.

"Scars are only closed wounds" said Rafiki, approaching the lion with a transparent and brilliant substance in his fingers.

"I know that already" said Scar, trying to ignore the strong smell of the cream and how greasy it felt on his pelt.

"In that case, you also know that means it may not be the wound itself, but just something which is… deeper" said Rafiki, getting separated from the lion. "Can you open the eye with the cream on it?" he asked.

"Yes…" said Scar blinking a few times. "What do you mean by that?" he asked with a frown.

"I mean that even if the physical wound is closed, something tells me there is still one opened somewhere within you" explained Rafiki.

The dark lion rolled his eyes; both emeralds shining with boredom: "I don't need one of your theories, Rafiki…" he said.

He could've used a worse adjective to defined the things the baboon liked to say, in his mystical way of being. But, truth be said, Rafiki was one of the few ones who had his friendliness, so he decided to bite his tongue and say it in a more courteous manner. Even so, Rafiki didn't seem pleased. Of course, he had to pay a lot of attention to see it, the shaman was also very good in disguising his discomfort with his well-known happiness.

"They are not theories, Scar, they are the reality" said the baboon calmly. He looked at him up and down and the feline grumbled. "How many wounded animals do you think I've seen in my whole life?" he asked all of a sudden. Letting his back rest on the thickest trunk, he kept going: "I think I have enough experience to distinguish the physical pain from _psychic_ pain"

" _Psychic_?" repeated the lion with a scornful laugh at the end.

"Enough to see it in any eyes; even in the eyes of someone who never gets rid of his mask" said the shaman rapidly, not giving the lion time to talk.

Scar frowned slightly, his vexation was clearer than the water, but he didn't say anything. Scar wasn't known for shutting up and letting things go that easily. Anyone would've been surprised for his silence, but Rafiki wasn't. He knew the lion pretty well, he had spent a lot of time with him, and even if the years changed him for worse, there was still something of the little and curious cub who Rafiki cared so much about. He was also the only one who never changed his behaviour towards him, because he knew that way Scar wouldn't change towards him completely. This silence proved he was right.

Slowly, the lion's features softened up, and Rafiki knew he was thinking of his words. He would never admit aloud he was right, but he didn't need to hear it, just with seeing his friend was alright and live peacefully and in happiness – as he used to – he would be happy. Being a friend was about that.

The quietness was interrupted before any of them could say anything else. Turning around quickly, they saw Mufasa entering the place, finishing to climb all the way up there, with a cheetah covered in blood and injuries on his back. When he perched up, three new visitors appeared. Both Scar and Rafiki recognised Mkali and Jelani, with determined glares. But looking deeper, Scar could see it was only façade. Both animals then paid attention to the third standing cheetah, who was younger than the two leaders and, in contrast to them, her eyes were full of fear and supressed tears.

"Rafiki, I need you to help this cheetah" said Mufasa, advancing towards the baboon.

"What happened to him?" asked then shaman helping the King to lay the cheetah down on the big and spacious nest Rafiki had made a long time ago.

"He was attacked at the hunting today" answered Mufasa, falteringly.

"Some are deep" said Rafiki in a whisper, more to himself than to anyone else.

Nevertheless, the young cheetah heard him, and, with trembling voice, asked: "Is my brother going to be okay?"

Everybody looked at the cheetah. Her whole body was shaking with fear and powerlessness. Mufasa's whiskers went down at the sight, and he had to try very hard to not lose his composure and calmness; Scar kept an eye on her, but didn't say a word, slyly, he took a look at his brother and narrowed his eyes at the sight. Mufasa wasn't out of breath because he had come there in a hurry. He was keeping something from everybody, especially the cheetahs, who were never on his family's side. Rafiki, on his behalf, was the only one who was strong enough to smile at the female. Putting a comforting hand on her left shoulder, he said:

"He will be fine" he reassured her. That made not only Izu sigh with relief, but Mufasa as well. "But he will have to be here a few days" he added. Scar was the only one who saw his smile was now forced. At the frown that appeared in the cheetah's forehead, he added: "Your brother needs all the attention I can give him, it would be dangerous for him to be away from me, as well as it will be dangerous for the rest of the kingdom that I will leave" he explained.

"I understand" said Izu under her breath.

Rafiki took the liberty of pelting her head with affection: "Of course you do, sweetheart. Now, it will be better for you all to go back home" he said in a louder tone, so the two leaders could hear him. "The rain won't stop, and it's getting darker as the night arrives"

"Couldn't have said it clearer" said Mkali with her characteristic tenacity. "Come, Izulu, your brother needs to rest and he's now in good hands" she said giving the younger one a small caress on the cheek.

Izulu seemed to doubt, but finally turned around. Not before saying 'thank you' looking at the King and the shaman. Both nodded their heads. Mufasa felt Mkali's red eyes on him and nodded as well, with more abruptness. The lion didn't need too much more to understand she was exhausted and wishing to go back home as soon as possible. Jelani disappeared from his sight without a sign of farewell, but the King let that go. Jelani wasn't important now.

On the way, Mkali explained as well as she could that, as the rest of her pack explained her and her mate, nobody saw who attacked Kwenja. He was very sociable but with the habit of hunting on his own. Nobody said a word about it, nobody saw it dangerous… until today. Mufasa knew that from today on the two cheetahs would be more prudent and firm at the hour of hunting. That would be their problem, they were in charge of that, but Mufasa was in charge to know what happened. Mkali couldn't say too much, and Izulu took over the conversation and explained that before his brother started to lose consciousness he didn't stop saying he heard laughs, everywhere and all the time, even if when he was found nobody was laughing.

Mufasa didn't need more. His family had exiled hyenas before he was even born. The principal reason was never explained to him, but he needn't any. He was aware of how manipulative and evil hyenas were, as well as avaricious and treacherous. Such a kind didn't have room in his kingdom, will never deserve his time and patience. His whole pride knew that very well, and agreed on that. But, as always, there had to be an exception.

 _His brother_. Since he was little he befriended them, and spent most of the time with that stripe. Mufasa tolerated it because, in a way, he felt he owed him that. But that didn't mean he was going to tolerate it all. Maybe Scar wasn't the one to blame, but he was responsible in a way. If he hadn't decided to be friend of those scavengers he wouldn't have to see himself involved in all their problems.

Prepared to have a chat – which promised to be all but calm – he saw with wide eyes that the dark lion was no longer there. He looked in silence as Rafiki wrapped Kwenja's injures rapidly but with preciseness. He let him do, and when the baboon got up and their glares met each other, Mufasa talked.

"Where is my brother?"

"How am I supposed to know? I was focus on Kwenja" he said simply.

The King frowned: "I know that is not excuse for you to not know what is happening around you"

Rafiki gave the hint of a smile: "Guilty, I guess… But even if I saw him leaving, I can't know where he headed to, now can I?" asked the baboon, picking up his crook and holding in with his two hands. "Remember what your mother used to tell you, Mufasa, Scar is like the wind: he is everywhere but lives nowhere; he belongs to everybody and nobody at the same time"

"My brother? Belongs to any of us?" asked Mufasa rhetorically. With a deep and tired sigh, he added: "He is unable to tie to anything, anywhere and anybody…"

"You say it as if it were a bad thing" commented Rafiki, getting closer to the big feline.

"It isn't a good thing. Being fickle is not a good thing" said Mufasa passing a paw through his thick mane.

Rafiki just smiled slightly: "Only time will tell…"

* * *

She had spent the whole day searching for something to eat, huddled in the grass. A few times she had seen buffalos and zebras, but they caught her presence before she was able to caught them. After hundreds of cursing and swearing, she finally decided it was useless. And, even if she knew it was forbidden for her kind, she ended up going to the gorge. It was in the kingdom, the famous Pridelands, owed by King Mufasa. A hiss when she thought about that name, more than damned for her.

As a hyena, Ukaidi was taught to hate lions. She was the most obstinate in her whole pack, so anyone would have thought she would never follow the rules and try to be sympathetic and understanding with the lions. Because that was the way she worked: if someone told her black, she would fight to demonstrate it could also be white. Or blue, or pink, or red, any colour except the one she was told. But with this she never rebelled. Lions were to blame for all her misfortunes, for the death of her parents when she was no more than a pup. Luckily for her, aunt Ujanja had been there.

Yes, not only she was the most stubborn in the whole pack but also the cousin of the now matriarch. Shenzi's mother decided to take care of her when both of her parents were murdered in front of her by Ahadi. Another name she loathed with all her might. Sometimes, where she went to sleep, she could still hear her parents' yelling, and she felt as powerless as when it happened for real. Ujanja told her she couldn't have done anything because she was too little, but Ukaidi never stopped feeling bad about her cowardice.

With time, that feeling was mixed up with her hatred towards lions, especially the ones who were related to the royal family. Those were the worst. Conceited as no one could ever imagine, those lions truly believed to be more than anyone else, even more than anyone else from their own kind. Able to kill for pride, able to abandon and ignore others' necessities to feed their hell of a pride, lions were creatures unworthy of their trust. They weren't like her pack.

In her pack, everybody looked for one another, they cared for each other. They were together no matter what. They weren't a pack, they were a _family_. How many times she saw Ujanja providing shelter to other hyenas in need? How many times she saw Ujanja helping and admitting pups in that weren't her own? She even adopted two orphaned pups who were now her cousins. That was impossible to see in a lion's pride. A pregnant lioness was never welcome, a cub who didn't share the same blood of the leader of the group deserved death. She never understood how they could be kings of anything.

Just by imagining a lion in front of her, she felt her blood boiling; but when she imagined Mufasa in front of her, the son of that bastard of Ahadi, she wasn't in control of any of her emotions anymore. She was sure that, without caring if she would end alive or death, she would fight against him. Until her last breath she would fight. Sometimes, she didn't need to imagine having Mufasa in front of her, just by knowing he was still alive and living the great life in his beautiful kingdom was enough to infuriated her. Those times, she remembered how strong her aunt was: she was able to be just and good until her heart stopped beating. Even with the memory of her sister and brother-in-law dead in front of her, with their skins ripped out, she never changed. She keep doing the role of the leader, of the matriarch. She educated her daughter to be as great as her, and took care of two pups of somebody else's blood. And took care of her. All what she was today was because of Ujanja.

A noise woke her up. The rain was soaking all around her, and the arrival of the night just made the darkness stronger. Ukaidi moved her head to make the hair that fell on her right eye as a long fringe stopped bothering her in her hunting. In front of her, a wildebeest was trying to go back home. Maybe left behind by its herd. She didn't mind. She smiled, glad that finally she was going to hunt something for real. She licked her lips, impatient, while she prepared herself to leap on the animal and kill it. It would be difficult on her own, but she would try. With her muscles tensed, she could already feel the delicious taste of fresh meet in her mouth and the thickness of the blood staining her snout. When she saw the wildebeest stopping all of a sudden and turning its head to where she was, Ukaidi didn't doubt anymore: she leapt.

She heard the wildebeest complaining when he felt her sharp jaws on his pelt. She was able to throw him to the ground as she leapt wildly. Merciless, she began to scratch and bite more violently on his skin, making his complaints louder but also weaker. She remembered all her trainings, all what Ujanja had taught her when she was a pup. _Kill, not think, kill. Have no mercy. Be selfish. You need the food. Your family needs the food. It doesn't matter who you attacked, it doesn't matter if he has a beating heart as you do. Just. Kill._ A rapid and mighty bite in the jugular made the animal stop fighting. His blood was staining all around them, and when Ukaidi finally recovered her breath, she looked at herself, seeing her grey pelt had become red. She watched the carcass of her adversary and began to laugh hysterically. _I made it. I hunt it all by myself! My family will eat!_

One wildebeest wouldn't be enough to feed her whole clan, but she knew just by bringing them fresh meat they would be happy. Slowly, the raindrops began to clean her fur, but she didn't mind being covered in blood, it was just a reminder of her victory. She dragged the dead animal, not even feeling tired and if it was an easy task. The animal weighed, but she didn't mind. In her mind she only had how happy her family would be. She laughed again, her joy echoing through the whole kingdom. When she stopped laughing, wiping one tear from her uncovered eye, she sensed that a laughter could still be heard.

But it wasn't her anymore.

Preparing herself in case someone would be stupid enough to believe to be able to steal her food, she began to watch all that surrounded her. The raindrops' fall were silenced by the mysterious laughter. At first, she thought it may have been another hyena, like her. Maybe even one of her clan. But immediately she casted that idea aside. She was a hyena, she was able to know when she heard another one laughing in their characteristic way.

Her doubts disappeared when she saw the forms of the new arrivals. They weren't a lot smaller than her, but they were thinner – not because of that they seemed weaker – and their yellowish white teeth were shining in the rainy night. Ukaidi stepped back, her breaths faltering. Slowly, the eyes of her several opponents began to shine in the dark of the night. Her survival instinct told her to run as fast as she could, but then her amethyst eyes fell on the dead wildebeest. _No. I can't run. My family needs this._ Frowning, she crouched down and showed her teeth to her adversaries. She would fight. Afraid and alone, but she would. One of the animals looked at her with amusement in his bright yellow eyes, and, in unison, both hunters leapt on each other, starting the fight.

And defeat was not an option for the two of them.

* * *

 **Sorry for the long delay. I've been stuck with both Lion King fanfics and I couldn't find a way to keep going with them, but finally the inspiration came back XD.**

 **Guest: Poor Tojo is always in trouble, but he's so cute we forgive him XD. I loved to write that chapter, I adore to write little children's thoughts.**

 **Jem Boy: Thank you! And, yes, you're right, I don't remember a lot of fanfics focus on Zazu. He should be given more credit, the poor bird is a cubsitter, a majordomo, he's always working!**

 **Fluffy Dream: His name means 'friend' for a reason. He's very inspiring, a bit annoying at times for me, but in the end, I love his character XD**

 **Handy-Dandy: Thank you! Thank you! You helped me a lot! =D**

 **Joseph94: Thank you!**

 **Turtle dude: Thanks.**

 **I salad: Hidden in my mind, not wanting to go out XD**

 **ManBearPig: Lack of inspiration, and I admit it, summer XD**

 **By the way, I used 'scavengers' to define hyenas again because it was what Mufasa thought of them, so try to imagine that word in the most peyorative way you can. Mufasa is not very pleased with their existence, the poor hyenas XD**

 **Mkali = severe/strict  
Jelani = powerful  
Utamu = sweetness  
Izulu = sky  
Kwenja = optimistic [from the word 'kwenjabulo']  
Ukaidi = obstinate**

 _ **Sursum corda!**_


	5. Old friends, new enemies

**Chapter 5:**

" _ **Old friends, new enemies"**_

Ukaidi was one of the strongest hyenas the clan had. She was taught by the ex matriarch herself, and she had an ability to froze her heart when she was in the middle of the battle. She didn't feel, just think. Like a killing machine, she leapt on the first animal who seemed more than pleased than begin a fight. The darkness and the rain made difficult to distinguish forms and scents, and with the adrenaline running through her veins due to fight, it became more difficult to focus in such a matter. She didn't care which animal she was fighting with. In her mind she could only see the faces of Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, her cousins, waiting for her, worried over how long it was taking her to return home. No. She couldn't lose. She had to win.

With a monstrous growl, she bit the neck of her adversary, making him moan of pain. She thought then it would be easier for her, but she was surprised when the animal scratched her cheek with his paw, making her groaned and got separated from him. It wasn't the pain, but the shock what made her wobble. She had bit his neck, he wasn't supposed to have enough strength to attack her. She passed a paw through her left cheek. Fresh blood was sprouting and falling down to her chin. The injury just made her to be scared for the first time in the short fight. But it was immediately replaced by fury.

She looked forwards, baring her teeth at that thief at the same time a lighting gave her the light she needed. Her ears were pinned in the back of her head and her eyes were wide open when she saw which kind of animals she had in front of her. _Wild dogs_ , she thought, feeling her body trembling. Her amethyst shone with fear and a bit of surprise. _What are they doing in these lands?_ she thought, a bit confused.

She knew the story of how the rivalry between wild dogs and hyenas started. When they both were banished from the Pridelands along with jackals, the three kinds got separated. They became enemies, always in constant battle to get food. Some jackals could be seen still around the borders of the kingdom, maybe with a bit of melancholy, thinking of better times when hunting wasn't that difficult and mortal, with the protection of a King everybody respected and feared. Hyenas and wild dogs were a lot different from that. They didn't miss those times, on the contrary, the memories of their lives there just gave them more pain that was transformed in anger and resentment, making them hate the animals who lived there more and more as days passed by.

At first, wild dogs and hyenas tried to work together, but things never turned out well. They needed a home. The Elephant Graveyard wasn't a paradise, but they were the nearest lands to the kingdom an outcast could dream of. After a ardours battle against the wild dogs, who refused to leave once they were told there wasn't enough food and space for the two packs, the hyenas won the territory, and the wild dogs disappeared, literally. Of course, all that happened before she was even born, so when Ukaidi was in front of actual wild dogs, she felt lost and afraid.

Maybe she could beat some of them, but she was exhausted after so many tries of hunting and she wasn't in conditions to fight against four dogs who were looking at her with a mix of hatred and amusement. It was the first time she thought something like that, but she couldn't help it: _What it's so funny?_

She looked the dead wildebeest with the corner of her eyes. She knew her family needed the food, that Shenzi would be pleased to see fresh meat in front of her, but she would be more pleased to have her cousin back. Besides, Shenzi needed to know. She wouldn't forgive herself if some of her friends would be hurt because she was too obstinate to keep fighting for food when her family's lives could be in danger. If she was going to end dead tonight, she preferred to be it because she tried to alert the clan, not because of dead meat.

She growled under her breath. It still bothered her to abandon her catch there and have to give it to them, but she also did it because maybe she could scare them, let them know they would lose if they tried to attack her again. They only wanted food, anyway, she wasn't important. Turning her back on them, unwillingly, she prepared to start running to her home. But she was surprised when one of the wild dogs jumped in front of her, not letting her leave.

It was the perfect moment to take a better look to the forgotten outcasts. She had heard Ujanja telling her and her cousins stories of wild dogs. She never talked bad about them, maybe a bit of affection was still in her chest for the ones who were her friends in her cubhood. But the animal she had before her was a lot different from what her aunt told her in life. This one was a beast. With sharp teeth, saliva running down his chin which was being mixed up with raindrops and brilliant green eyes that shone with ferocity. He was prepared to attack, to kill her, even if she was giving them the food. He seemed really desperate to sink his teeth into her skin instead of the wildebeest's.

"Giving up so soon?" asked a hoarse voice behind her. Turning around, she saw that the one who talked was the first wild dog who attacked her. "I've heard hyenas were cowards, but I couldn't imagine they were _that_ much"

And then, the painted wolf let out a boisterous laugh that echoed through the desert gorge and deafened her. Ukaidi wrinkled her features. _Is that what others animals feel when we laugh?_ she asked, looking disgusted at the wild dog. She turned around to face him, show him she wasn't afraid.

"I am not giving up. I'm ceding my catch to you" she said. It wasn't a complete lie. They were nobody to ask her for the whole truth, anyway.

"We don't need anybody to cede us food, _hyena_ " said the wild dog. The name of her kind was said in such a pejorative way that Ukaidi couldn't help but growl offended. That only seemed to give the wild dog more delight. "We wouldn't trespass the kingdom's lands for such a trifle…"

 _Trifle? Getting food is a trifle now?_ She frowned, something that her adversary noticed immediately, making a sinister smile appeared in his face.

"Oh, don't tell me you're still starving in that death land you fought for?" he asked, laughing loudly again.

Ukaidi wrinkled her face again at the annoying sound: "None of your business" she blurted out.

"So, that's a yes" said the wild dog, making his smile grow.

"You have your food, now let me go"

The wild dog made the smile smaller – a thing that Ukaidi thanked in her mind, as she was starting to feel shivers going down her spine – but when he talked again, her fear returned to her heart.

"I've told you, it is not the food what we wanted" said her opposite, shaking his head.

Carefully, she asked, gathering her courage: "What do you want then?..."

The wild dog began to walk towards her, making her walk backwards at each step he took: "Killing for survival has become boring to us… Now, we want something more… _entertaining_ "

Ukaidi knew immediately what he was talking about, but she didn't have time to be terrified when she felt a jaw closing around her rear leg. With a swipe, she made the wild dog that had bitten her roll over the ground, moaning in the act. And right after, she had other two on her back, scratching and biting, trying to tear her skin out. Ukaidi contained a scream of pain, she didn't want to please that lunatic even more, who was watching her fighting with two of his kind.

When Ukaidi was able to throw one of them to the ground, another one leapt against her, making her and the other wild dog fall to the ground with a thump. She began to tinge the puddle she fell on with the red colour of the blood that was sprouting from her side. She wasn't going to give up so easily, and she bit the neck of the wild dog who was making her bleed. The animal let out a shriek and she pushed him off her with her rear legs. She felt a sharp pain in the right one, the one she was bitten not too long ago, but she ignored it as she got up and leapt on the top of the wild dog, biting his jugular with all her might. When she did it with the wildebeest, it felt good because she knew her family was going to eat, finally. But now… Now she felt glorious, it felt marvellous. Especially when she saw the animal below here was limp.

She turned around, with her snout stained of blood. The four wild dogs that were left looked at her with frowns and teeth bared, maybe infuriated by the death of a friend. But that only made her feel better. If they were blinded by rage, it would be easier for her to win, as she would use her brain all the time, acknowledged of how those species fought. Her muscles hurt and the air was trapped in her throat, but she was very good in concealing her tiredness. The yellow-eyed wild dog who attacked her first looked directly at her, and called her attention the most.

He wasn't like the rest.

His pelt was a mess, with a few bare spots across his hefty body. Some of them were raw, and Ukaidi thought he had to spend half of his life biting himself in an attempt to erase the bothering stinging some bugs created in his skin. She made a face. Those dogs didn't seem to be starving, they weren't half of slim as she and the majority of her family was, but still they didn't seem healthy. If they weren't trying to kill her, she would feel pity for their condition.

"I don't wish to fight you" she said, after a sigh. It was true, she didn't like to fight if it wasn't for a good reason, and even if they wanted to take away her life, she could at least let them know she wasn't going to be an enemy if they behaved.

The yellow-eyed wild dog laughed sarcastic at that: "You have an odd way of showing it"

"Kill or be killed, that's the law of the errant" she simply said, her eyes glued to the brawny figure she had in front of her eyes. She wouldn't win against him in her condition, she was exhausted and now limping. "Our kinds know that pretty well; one of yours tried to kill me, and I defended myself"

The wild dog looked at her with a shadow of admiration. If it was real or pretended, Ukaidi couldn't tell: "You are not as stupid as we've been told"

The hyena didn't try to contain the growl that was born in her throat: "What is stupid is that rumour" she said infuriated, but inspiring a bit she could calm down. "Go back home. You can have the wildebeest, as a peace offer"

She was being sincere. If the problem was the lack of trust, the scepticism, she didn't have trouble in giving them her catch. That way, she could go back running to her home and tell Shenzi everything. She jumped afraid and surprised when the wild dog began to laugh again; this time, his friends imitated him, but in a lower volume. She looked at her right, seeing the three painted wolfs shaking their heads. She pressed her lips. _It's like they're not even here_ , she thought, confused.

Then, with a unexpected force, she was thrown to the ground. The yellow-eyed wild dog was on her, with a serene smile. Even if he wasn't smiling like a crazy being, it could still make her feel uncomfortable. She moaned when she felt a horrible pain in her hind right leg. The wild dog made sure he had his left one on her hurt member. Ukaidi looked at him with hatred, but that didn't intimidate the dog. Bending, he put his mouth in her ear; his warm breath hitting her made her sick.

"Peace is too boring for me" he whispered in a cold-blooded tone.

That affirmation made her eyes wide opened, and right after, the wild dog scratched her across the chest, making her scream in pain. She was sure she was heard, and she didn't mind. For the first time in her life, she didn't mind being heard in a moment of weakness. It was clear it was going to be her end. She waited, breathing in a laborious way, for a next blow…

…But in never came.

Instead of that, she heard the dog howling in pain and then she felt no weight on her. Opening her eyes and trying to recover her strengths, she forced herself to look forwards. She was surprised for the zillionth time that day: Fisi, the hyena she liked less in the whole clan was there, _fighting for her_.

In gasps, she turned around, and complained when she felt a horrible pain in her chest. She writhed on the ground, and closed her eyes trying to ignore the pain, thinking in something else. But the only image that came to her mind was Fisi fighting all by himself against four wild dogs who seemed to be out of their minds. She tried to get on her feet with no avail. The injury in her chest was dying her pelt, the paw she had on it and the ground below in crimson. With the poor sense of hearing she had in a situation like that, she heard a loudly thump and then silence.

She made another effort. Her vision was blurred, black spots were adorning the images in front of her, but she didn't pay them attention. She had to know who was the loser. She _need_ to know. Narrowing her eyes, she saw the body of the yellow-eyed dog on the ground, totally limp. She didn't know if he was dead, but she wished that was the case. The other three were surrounding the motionless figure, like three lost pups who had lost their parent in a fight. They whined, and pushed the animal with their snouts, trying to make him move, but their leader didn't please them by getting up or making any sounds. _They are desperate_ , she thought weakly.

Ukaidi's head fell on the ground. Too tired to think, act or talk. A black paw stopped in front of her, manging to prevent her for passing out by the moment. Lifting her amethysts, she saw Fisi in front of her. Some of his scars, the ones who always adorned part of his side and differentiated him from the rest, were open and staining his spotted pelt in red. She couldn't make more than a groan to let him know she could see him, and that she was glad to see him. Fisi just wrinkled his snout.

"Always in the middle of a brawl…" she heard him complain. She would have liked to answer him back, but with the poor strength she was left, she could only bare her teeth. Then, she felt herself being carried on his back. A moan of pain and several gasps when her chest began to hurt badly again. "Shenzi is going to be happy" was the last thing she heard, the sarcasm pretty clear even for her tired ears.

And the last thing she saw was the wild dogs, becoming blurry shadows under the rain. Two of them were taking her catch with them, while the one left carried their leader on his back. Making a face, she was witness of how the only trace of her battle would be the carcass of the less lucky wild dog.

Then, everything became black.

* * *

Scar wasn't the leader of anybody. In the Pridelands, his brother ruled; in the Elephant Graveyard, Shenzi was the boss. He was always in the shadow. But still, he was the only one who was able to control his brother and friend's bad tempers. Mufasa was like a bomb about to explode each time something got out of his control and power; a bad word, something that could be misunderstood by a great offense, and you would be doomed. Shenzi, on the other hand, was like him because she had more control over her emotions, almost seeming completely insensitive. She stood lots of things, but then one thing could come and the peace was over. So, in the end, the only thing that distinguished Mufasa and Shenzi's temper was how much both of them could control it. But that didn't mean they were both scary when their patience was over.

Scar seemed to be the only one able to ease off their temperament. That was why, when he heard and saw what happened with Kwenja, he didn't lose time in run to the Graveyard before his brother could put his eyes on him. What he could do? If he had to chose between his brother or the hyena, Shenzi would always win. He could only pray Shenzi was having a good day, but when he arrived at the dead place, he was reminded luck was never on his side.

Shenzi was under the big skull of elephant she liked to spend time. It was one of the first things to be seen when someone arrived there. Which was perfect, because it gave the place the lugubrious feeling it needed to make the invaders run away from there and leaving the hyenas in peace in their home. Anyone would think Shenzi like to be there then because it reminded her her power and position, it made her remember who she was; but Scar knew the truth: it was the place where her mother liked to spend her time to see if someone would come to her home with bad intentions, and Shenzi always accompanied her. That place was where Ujanja's presence was stronger, where her memory lived. Shenzi liked to be there remembering old times, it gave her strength to go on.

In front of her, Banzai and Ed were fighting over a bone, as usual, so he didn't pay them any attention. Their arguing was annoying, but Shenzi seemed to not be seeing what was happening in front of her. Her dark eyes were focus on the ground before her, but her mind was miles away. She was serious, maybe almost angry, but she was being able to control it. She didn't like to let people see when she was upset.

"Hey, Scar!" Banzai saw him first, and didn't doubt in greeting him in one of his screams.

"Hello, Banzai. Ed" he said looking at the youngest hyena, who nodded his head with his tongue out.

Banzai smiled mischievously at his brother and stole him the bone: "Mine!"

Scar saw Ed looking at his paws, confused, and then saw Banzai licking the bone exaggeratedly happy. Ed began to make noises of complaint, and immediately the other male got up with the bone in his mouth, running in circles. The younger one followed him while the older screamed 'mine, mine' with his mouth full. The scene, Scar had to admit, was comical. He heard Shenzi giggling to corroborated it.

"It feels like ages since the last time I heard you laugh sincerely" he said taking a deep look at her.

Shenzi barely lifted her eyes: "So?" she asked not very interested in starting a conversation.

Taking a seat beside her, Scar answered: "Nothing. It's just strange to say that to a hyena"

If that had been another animal, Shenzi's mood would have got worse, but as it was Scar, she only laughed a bit again: "Even _I_ can admit that" she simply said, with a faint smile on her lips. "You came for a reason" she pointed out.

"When will you take a rest in that habit of yours of paying attention to everything around you?" he asked with a swindler smile.

"The same day you will do it" she answered rapidly, imitating his gesture. "Spit it out"

"A cheetah was gravely wounded this morning" said Scar without beating about the bush.

"I'm about to cry…" said Shenzi with sarcasm.

"You will if you don't take this seriously" said Scar with a severe expression. "Mufasa thinks you did it"

At the golden lion's name, Shenzi frowned: "And what do you think?" she asked looking at him directly in the eyes for the first time.

Scar stared at her quietly: "Nothing yet. Nothing until you explain me your version of the story"

"There is no version of our story, Scar; we haven't gone to the lands the cheetahs hunt in days" she said a bit angry at the dark lion.

"That could also be seen as your version" Scar simply said.

"Whatever…!" said Shenzi rolling her eyes. "I don't care about what your brother thinks, but what _you_ think"

"I'm aware of that"

"So?"

"You know I believe you, but convincing him will be difficult" a tired sigh.

"You can tell him on my part that he can go to hell"

"That would only make it worse" said Scar, but a small laugh escape his lips. "Something's bothering you. Badly"

"Now, who is paying attention to the world around him?" commented Shenzi under her breath. "Ukaidi hasn't come yet" she explained.

"When did she leave?"

"At the morning…"

Scar frowned at that: "It isn't typical of her" he commented.

"She said she was going to hunt something from us" explained Shenzi. This time, Scar felt the anxiety in her voice. "I just hope she's alright"

Scar was about to reassured her Ukaidi was strong, and that nothing bad could have happened, when Shenzi got up immediately, looking behind him with wide eyes. Scar imitated her, and had to got up as well when he saw Fisi coming back with a injured and passed out Ukaidi on his back.

Maybe because Ukaidi and him never were too close; maybe because he knew Shenzi would need someone who would give her peace in the difficult moment that was about to come; maybe it was just because he was very used to maintain his emotions inside and never allowed them to go out. The case was that he didn't change his impassable attitude for a second.

Shenzi, on the contrary, seemed to forget all what her mother taught her about being firm even in the most difficult moments. She ran to the scarred hyena with her heart skipping a beat, asking Fisi what happened. The male hyena just looked at her with the corner of his black-reddish eyes and kept silent. Scar frowned a bit at that. He knew the mysterious and quiet nature of Fisi, and he always tried to respect it because, in a sense, he was the same. But in a situation like that, with someone who was closed to you gravely wounded, Scar himself wouldn't have lost a second in start telling what had happened. Even if he had to tell it to his brother.

Fisi passed by his side, looking at him covertly. Both pair of eyes were completely illegible, but for the two of them it was pretty clear what they were telling each other. Fisi never liked him. His hatred towards lions didn't know exceptions, not even for him, who had brought them food in several occasions since they knew Shenzi and her brothers. Even Ukaidi acted as kind as she could in front of her, but Scar felt it was more because than anything else. With that rapid glare, the hyena was reminding him that wasn't his place. He was a lion, they were hyenas, and that was a hyena's problem. Scar tried to supress a small laugh in case it could be misunderstood; he didn't hear to his own brother, so Fisi was stupid if he really thought someday he would make him leave forever.

On his behalf, Scar gave the hyena a short message: _stop acting like a fool in a situation like this_. Fisi had to understand him, as he growled under his breath. He didn't want to be heard by Shenzi, who hated to see them not getting along. And in the state of nervousness she was now, both knew it wasn't the moment for their nasty comments.

Fisi lay Ukaidi down, and the female let a small and weak complain let out her lips. She was truly exhausted, that was clear. With the corner of his eye, Scar saw Banzai and Ed entering the big skull as well. The rain was falling gently against the place. Everybody knew it wouldn't make grass grow in there, but they always liked when it rained, anyway. The clouds made it more difficult to see clearly all the injuries the two arrivals had, but the most important of them all, the three scratches that were adorning Ukaidi's chest, could be seen perfectly. Shenzi gasped and sat beside her.

"What happened?" she asked infuriated, throwing Fisi an angry glare.

"Is that the way you should talk to the one who saved your cousin's butt?" said Fisi narrowing his eyes.

Shenzi growled and got up, being now nose to nose with the male hyena: "I'm not in the bloody mood of your conceited answers, Fisi. What happened?" she said in a louder tone of voice.

Fisi looked at her a bit upset, but finally said: "She was attacked by wild dogs when she was hunting at the gorge"

The two brothers gasped. Ed even stepped backwards and hid behind his brother, as if the wild dogs were there, prepared to attack them any minute. Shenzi was petrified after hearing him say that. It wasn't because of fear, as Ed, it was because of rage, fury, thirst of revenge. Scar, on his behalf, looked directly at Ukaidi, who was on the ground with an expression of pure pain and sorrow. She was unconscious, but still she was suffering. For a brief moment, a flashback of Kwenja appeared in his mind.

"How many?" asked Shenzi, taking the dark lion out of his thoughts.

"They were five, but Uka was able to kill one of them. And I knocked down who seemed to be the leader. I don't know if he was dead or not" answered Fisi, shrugging.

If Scar was annoyed by the boring tone of the male hyena, he didn't want to imagine how angry Shenzi was then. Instead of screaming at him – as the dark lion sensed she wanted to do – the Matriarch decided the best was to be seated again beside her cousin. The frown in Ukaidi's face was making her heart hurt. Only Scar and her two brothers were able to see it. Fisi didn't seem very moved by the scene, or troubled. In fact, Scar could swear he saw him making the gesture of roll his eyes, but he contained himself at the end.

"Why are they here? Why did they attack her?" asked Banzai all of a sudden, breaking the silence.

"I'm buggered if I know" said Fisi shrugging again. "They seemed pretty crazy to me. I wouldn't worry much for a quartet of mad wild dogs"

"I don't think the same" Scar meddled in. Approaching the injured hyena and her dejected cousin, he added: "She is as bad as Kwenja when he was brought to Rafiki this afternoon" he pointed out.

"Who is Kwenja?" asked Banzai confused.

"A cheetah" answered Scar while he looked at the wounds the hyena bore. The one in the chest seemed the worst.

"We can't cope with us only!" complained Fisi, looking at him annoyed. "If we start to worry over other kinds now…"

"I'm not asking you to worry over cheetahs or any other animal" said Scar rapidly, his emeralds on the scarred hyena, dedicating him a cold glare. "I'm just asking you to use your brains"

Fisi made a face of discomfort, feeling really offended. Before he was able to say something, Shenzi muttered: "They're attacking the animals who live in the kingdom…"

"Exactly. Cheetahs lived near the borders of the Pridelands, and the gorge is not too far away" said Scar, his eyes glued to the chest of Ukaidi once again. "I don't know why they have returned after all this time, but they don't seem to come in peace" he commented, frowning slightly.

He also knew what happened long ago between Ahadi and the hyenas, the jackals and the wild dogs. When Ahadi had the crown in his power, a lot before Mufasa was born, he banished those three kinds. Like Mohatu did with cheetahs, the difference was that Mohatu did it unintentionally, and cheetahs were still living _in_ the Pridelands. Even if they hunt out, they were still the King's responsibility. Ahadi simply said his kingdom wasn't for animals like them, and kicked them out. If there was a deeper reason, Scar was unaware of it; but knowing Ahadi as he knew him, something told him he didn't need any more reason that feel superior to someone.

The only thing he knew for sure what was Ujanja told him and her pups. Long ago hyenas had their own home, better than the Graveyard, but when a drought arrived they had to look for help and the Lion King who reigned back then gave them asylum. They weren't as numerous as now, so it was easy. With time, the Pridelands became their home as well. A home that was snatched from them when Ahadi became King.

Unlike his brother, Scar never blamed the hyenas for their hatred towards his kind. It was quite normal. They felt betrayed, they had to obey and see lots of them dead because the whims of Ahadi. He knew pretty well what they were feeling…

"I can heal her" said Scar all of a sudden. All the eyes were on him then, but he cared only for Shenzi's, who looked at him with desperation,

"Really?" she asked.

"Yes. You know Rafiki taught me things, I saw him healing lots of animals" said Scar, getting up. "Put a bit of dirt, she's still bleeding. I'll try to come here as soon as possible"

Shenzi looked at him leaving. The world around her was moving fast, but she felt completely numb. Scar, a lion, the kind her family hated, was going to help her cousin; the wild dogs, who once were their most loyal friends in better times, had become dangerous enemies. She didn't know what to think anymore. She could only wait and watch. And act. As fast as possible. _I feel this has only started…_

* * *

 **All Hail King Scar: Wild dogs this time, actually. Rafiki is always caring about others, I really love writing his character. All in due time, in due time... Thank you! (And hope you're liking this scenes with hyenas, they're starting to have more protagonism already XD)**

 **Fluffy Dream: I really love writing Ukaidi too! And enjoyed writing that conversation. Something tells me Rafiki would be kind to him and Scar would never have a real problem with him. As Rafiki said: only time will tell... Thank you!**

 **Joseph94: Yeah, you're very right on that XD. Thank you!**

 ** _Sursum corda!_**


	6. Shadows

**CHAPTER 6:**

" _ **Shadows"**_

 _The dust was making more difficult for him to breathe properly; his race wasn't useful either. His muscles hurt at each stride he ran. The stampede was becoming more dangerous as the seconds passed by; the wildebeest were showing themselves more violent. He received a few thrusts that slashed his skin, but the adrenaline helped him to not feel a thing… Yet._

 _The heavy and rapid steps of the wildebeest made the gorge resound, and Mufasa was also dealing with a headache that made his running more ardours, but he knew he couldn't stop. Something inside was telling him he had to keep going; against the stampede, but keep going. Why was he there? How did he get there?_

" _Mufasa!"_

 _As if his wondering was heard by the Heavens, he received an answer. The sweet voice which called his name made him stop running. Incredible, no wildebeest hit him. Mufasa began to look in all directions. He knew that voice. It passed a lot of time since the last time he heard it, but he still recognised it._ Call me one more time _, he pleaded in his mind, biting his bottom lip anxious._ I will just need one more time and I will run to you _._

 _His breathing was transforming into gasps, an opportunity the dust took to introduce itself down his throat and make him cough. His eyes were teary as well, and narrowed, in an attempt to improve his vision._ Come on… _Suddenly, he felt the sting pain in his right shoulder, where the horn hit him not too long ago, and felt the blood running down to his paw. But he couldn't care less._

" _Mufasa!"_

 _He looked in the direction the stampede was coming, where more wildebeests were appearing, multiplying themselves. The voice sounded more scared now, and desperate. Mufasa didn't lose time in start running again in the direction he heard it. His whole body felt weightier, the air seemed non-existent and each step he ran felt like he was going backwards instead of forwards. The voice was sounding louder, echoing through his ears, making him more anxious to find its owner; the desperation was clear. What once sounded sweet and quiet, now sounded hopeless and piercing. It didn't stop calling his name. His heart beat like if it was trying to get out his chest, and the voice was now screaming, being louder than the stampede. When Mufasa tried to run faster, a wildebeest charged him, throwing him to the ground with a thump and making him roll. Mufasa raised his head, seeing now lots of hooves that made the pebbles trembled and created the dust. One of them hit him directly in the forehead, and everything turned black._

 _…But it only felt like a blink._

 _When Mufasa opened his eyes again, it seemed like it only one second passed, but the big and heavy silence that reigned in the gorge demonstrated him that the stampede had passed, and he was uninjured. At least, as much as he could've ended in the middle of a stampede. With a moan, he got up and looked around him. What before was a disaster, now it was the most peaceful place in the Earth. Then, it hit him: somebody called his name, somebody was in trouble. He knew that somebody. He thought he could never heard her voice again. But he didn't have time to get emotional, to feel happy to have heard that voice again, because her tone showed him she was horrified._

 _He still could remember where it came from. The dust was still blurring his vision, so it meant the stampede ended not too long ago. A bit of dust got in his nostrils and Mufasa coughed, advancing slowly. Nobody was calling him anymore. He couldn't feel anything around him. Just loneliness. A bad presentment invaded him, a déjà vu. His breathing became laborious again and he began to run in the direction he had heard the voice before he passed out. This time, calling the name of its owner._

" _Mother!" he screamed; his deep voice echoing through the now empty and powdery gorge. "Mother!" he screamed again. He began to trot. He just needed a sound, something that told him she was hearing him, that she was fine. "Mother!" another try. He pinned his ears when he heard only silence, but then, at his back, sounded something. "Mother?"_

 _A bit of hope appeared in his chest. And disappeared faster than it came when he saw a lost and alone wildebeest running as if it was blind. He had lost his herd and seemed as desperate as him to find his way back home. Mufasa followed him with the sight, with a frown of empathy. Then, he saw it. A weak and thin tree was broken, and below it a body lied, completely still._

 _Mufasa felt the world stopping in that moment. He didn't feel tired, didn't feel scared, didn't feel anxious, he felt nothing at all. Just a small thought of positivity ploughed through his mind._ She's okay. She's okay. She only fainted, as it happened to me, I'm sure _. As he was getting closer, those thoughts abandoned him._

 _His mother was lying on the dry ground. Her brown-reddish pelt was stained by the marks of hooves, and some of them were bleeding. Her paws were crossed, one on the other one, and her eyes, her green eyes were wide open. Life didn't shine in them as he remembered. They were dead, as she was. And they were looking at him, accusatory._

" _Mother?" said Mufasa. His voice sounded more broken that he intended to, but he didn't care. Taking a small step forwards, he repeated: "Mother?" but, again, he received no answer._

 _Mufasa couldn't stop looking at the two emeralds his mother had as eyes, as if he was waiting for her to get up and start screaming at him; or just looked at him tenderly and tell him everything was fine and she was okay. Any of the two options were alright to him. He only needed to see her moving, talking,_ breathing _. Reluctant, he reached one paw to her. He needed to touch her. To feel her. As if he needed to know for real he wasn't going to hear her velvet voice again._

" _What have you done?" a deep voice asked behind him._

 _Mufasa turned around rapidly. He had recognised that voice immediately, and yet he didn't want to believe it was him. His father. Ahadi. His red orbs stared straight at him, making him froze. He had seen his father angrier, that was true, but that look… That look was more than anger, than hatred… It was disgust. And Mufasa felt like the smallest being on Earth, and the more disgusting one as well. Mufasa's mouth was dry, and he felt as if his voice had abandoned him. But somehow, he managed to gather enough courage to start talking._

" _I…" he tried to say._

" _I didn't… I didn't mean to…" a weak and childish voice said._

 _Mufasa turned around, seeing, behind him, a small cub. Small, weak, slim, and possessor of two green eyes and brown-reddish pelt, completely equal as the ones her mother had. A small amount of mane was starting to grow on the top of his head. The cub was trembling of fear, and it was then when Mufasa realised his father wasn't talking to him, but to the cub. His brother._ Taka _._

" _I did nothing!" the cub finally said, at the verge of tears._

 _Mufasa looked at his father, his glare hardened. Baring his teeth, he raised his right paw, claws unsheathed, and hit the cub in the left eye, creating a line of red blood that began to fall down his brother's cheek. The cub fell to the ground, screaming a bit in pain, but he bit his bottom lip. Mufasa knew Taka didn't want Ahadi to hear him cry. Both brothers knew that would only make it worse._

" _The Queen is dead" said Ahadi with a voice deeper than Mufasa's. It was also darker and hoarse. The hatred could be heard in each word he spoke. "And you say you didn't do anything?" he asked, frowning his features._

" _He didn't do anything;_ I _did" said Mufasa, hating the view of his brother hurt and bleeding on the ground. However, none of them seemed to hear him._

" _I… I didn't want this to happen…" muttered the cub, weakly._

" _It's not your fault" said Mufasa, approaching his brother._

" _You didn't? You betrayed your pride" said Ahadi._

 _Mufasa stopped in his tracks and looked at his father. He was being too hard on the kid. It was true his brother befriended the hyenas, but that didn't mean Uru died because of him._

" _I didn't… I didn't betray anyone… I just…" Taka tried to explain himself, in tears. Due to the recent wound, he seemed to be crying blood out his left eye._

" _Betrayal has a cost" kept saying Ahadi. Cold. Severe. Mufasa felt the chills going down his spine. "Your mother paid the price. A price you should've paid"_

 _Mufasa saw the cub looking at the carcass of their mother. The golden lion was sure the cub wanted to look at her, wait till she move and look at him with care as she used to._

" _I didn't want her to die…" said the cub in a sob._

" _Your mother is dead" said Ahadi right after, reminding him she ended dead anyway._

 _His coldness made Mufasa look at him, in shock. Wasn't his father affected by his mate's death? How could he act so severe and firm with the dead body of his love in front of his eyes? How could he blame a cub of his mother's death?_

" _I didn't want this to happen…" repeated the cub, now looking at the old Lion King, scared of his presence and hurt by his words._

" _Your mother is dead" said Ahadi again, his glare hardened. "Because of you"_

 _That made Mufasa's heart skip a beat, while Taka just froze, his ears pinned and his face pale. Mufasa wanted to go to him, hold him, comfort him._ This isn't fair _, he thought, seeing the sadness in his brother's childish face._

" _If you were half the son Mufasa is…" said Ahadi then._

 _Mufasa saw a small smile of joy when Taka tensed at those words. The golden lion, on his behalf, was starting to feel dizzy._ This can't be… This can't be real, he just didn't say that…

" _I'm ten times the son Mufasa is!" complained the cub, screaming with broken voice. The sadness was now mixed up with wrath. "But you never…!"_

" _Mufasa_ never _betrayed his pride, his family. You did!" interrupted Ahadi with potent voce, silencing the cub, who lowed his head, afraid. "And now, because of_ you _, the Queen is dead!"_

" _No…" said the cub under his breath, more tears wetting his cheeks._

" _You will never escape it!" kept saying Ahadi, baring his teeth at Taka._

" _Stop…" whispered Mufasa, feeling everything around him going in circles. The voices, though, kept sounding clear._

" _You will live with this for the rest of your life!"_

" _Please, stop…"_

" _Traitor!"_

" _Don't say it…"_

" _Murderer!"_

" _No!" both Mufasa and Taka screamed._

 _Taka ran away, not being able to throw a last glare to his mother. Mufasa watched him leave, and then looked at his father. No more than a shadow, a blurred shadow of confusing colours in front of him._ It wasn't his fault _, thought Mufasa._ It wasn't his fault, is was mine! _Mufasa couldn't take it any longer and closed his eyes, lowing his head and gasping for air._ It was my fault… My fault… _he thought incessantly._

" _Then, why didn't you ever say anything?"_

 _Mufasa looked up. The gorge around him had disappeared, now it was all black. A darkness that surrounding him, trapping him. In front of him, a little Taka stood. His blood was still going down from his left eye, along with tears. A frown wrinkled his face, the fury burnt in his green eyes._

" _You admitted it" said the cub. "It was your fault. You knew it. Why didn't you ever say it?" asked the cub, reproaching him._

" _I…" was all that Mufasa could say._

 _For the first time, he didn't know what to say. His voice was taken away from him by the guilt. By that little cub, his brother, the one who once loved him. But now he could see hatred towards him. And he couldn't blame him for that._

" _You never defended me!" said the cub. He sounded broken. And Mufasa knew he couldn't fix him. "You are my brother, you are supposed to look after me!" he screamed. He was hurt. Mufasa knew he couldn't heal him either. "Ahadi was wrong, you did betray someone: me!"_

" _No, I…" tried to say Mufasa, taking a step backwards. Taka was right. He couldn't defend himself._

" _Mufasa" a velvet voice said from behind._

 _Turning around, he saw Uru standing and staring at him. "Mufasa…" she said again. In her voice Mufasa could only hear one thing: disappointment. And it made him feel smaller than ever. "Why?" she asked, now with teary eyes as well._

" _I… I didn't…" began to stutter Mufasa, sounding just like his brother did not too long ago._

" _You abandoned us" said Uru._

 _Mufasa didn't realise he was walking backwards until he saw Uru and Taka walking in front of him, frowning, cornering him. "No. I didn't. I… I tried to…"_

" _It's your fault!" screamed Taka._

" _Why didn't you do something?" asked Uru, burning with the need to hear him say something._

" _I don't… I'm…" Mufasa was lost in words. Looking at each of them anxious._

" _We needed your help!" both mother and son said at the same time._

" _I tried. I swear I tried" said the golden lion, shaking his head._ This can't be, this can't be, they hate me _, he thought._

" _Where were you when your brother needed you?" asked Uru. For some reason, she was the only one standing right in front of him now, his whole attention was on her. "Where were you when_ I _needed you?"_

" _I tried, I swear. I tried to help you. I…" tried to explain Mufasa._

 _He took a step forwards. He needed to touch her, he needed her to hold him and tell him everything was going to be fine, even if that sounded childish. But he felt his heart hurting when Uru stepped backwards, wrinkling her nose, as if she was disgusted by the simple thought of touching him._

" _Mother…" said Mufasa, hurt._

" _Stop calling me that" she blurted out. Her tone was sharp, direct and cold. Something that seemed too foreign in her voice. "You're not my son"_

With a gasp, Mufasa opened his eyes. He tried to recover his breath whilst he looked around him. He was in his den, but there was nobody there. He was alone in the place he used to sleep with his mate and son. The same place his father had slept with his mother and him in his cubhood. It always made him feel safe, but after his dream and the emptiness he was surrounded by, it made him sick to his stomach.

A bit nauseous, he got up and exited the cave. The sky was still adorned by grey clouds, but it wasn't raining. Mufasa advanced until he was on the verge of Pride Rock, and looked down. None a lioness in sight. He thought maybe they were hunting. He couldn't know how longer he had been asleep. He hoped not too much. Then, he lifted his head to see if he could sight Zazu somewhere. That simple move made the world around him go in circles, and Mufasa had to low his head, because he felt about to fall down Pride Rock.

Shaking his head, he tried to get his vision back. When finally everything seemed to be still and clear, he frowned. Paying more attention to himself, he felt shattered and a bit cold. _I'm not sick, am I?_ He stopped frowning when he felt that was making his head hurt too much, and coughed. His throat was raspy and he had to clear it a few times, but he didn't feel better. _I'm just tired_ , he tried to convince himself. _Nothing I can't handle._

Getting down slowly – in case he could suffer from another fainting fit – he reached the ground, seeing not even a cub was there. It was strange Simba didn't wake him up, or Sarabi. The peace that could be breathed bothered him. He never thought he would miss the screams of the cubs, the chatting of the lionesses, Zazu with his morning report… He even wanted to be informed that some animal needed his advice or help, to be asked for look after the children. _Anything_.

Mufasa wasn't somebody who loved to be on vacation. Stressful as it was, working helped him all his life. It helped him to have his mind focus on something more than his personal problems. When you have a dead relationship with your brother and your two parents have left you, it was pretty useful… Talking with Sarabi also was agreeable, and passing the time with Simba, teaching him a few tricks he knew about hunting and seeing him practising them was entertaining. But he would never admit aloud how much he needed those times…

"Good morning, your majesty!" a British accent said from above.

Afraid that he could get dizzy in front of someone close to him, he waited until he saw the hornbill flying in front of him: "Good morning, Zazu" he replied with a hoarse voice. He coughed a bit to clear his throat. "Do you want to give me the morning report?" he asked.

The bird tilted his head to one side: "Actually, I already gave it to Sarabi" he must have showed how much that bothered him, because immediately, Zazu added: "She told me you were resting and I thought…"

"It's alright, Zazu, do not worry about it" said Mufasa rapidly. He didn't want him to feel bad. "Where is Sarabi?"

"She had a meeting with the cheetahs and Kwenja's sister, sir" he informed.

"The cheetahs were here?" asked Mufasa frowning slightly. He stopped when his forehead hurt.

"Yes. This morning. Kwenja hasn't woken up yet" explained the bird, landing on a near rock.

"And where are the cubs?"

If Zazu wasn't telling more it was because nothing wrong happened, and everything was peaceful up to now. So, he could spend the day with Simba. His son would help him to forget how tired he was feeling and the horrible dream that left a nasty taste in his mouth.

"They're with your brother, sir. The lionesses let them with him as they went to hunt" he explained, carefully. Scar and Mufasa hadn't talked more than three words since Simba's presentation, and he didn't know how the King would take the information.

Mufasa simply smiled slightly: "Thank you, Zazu. You can retire"

"Have a nice day, your majesty" said the hornbill nodding his head and took flight.

Mufasa waited a few minutes and then began to walk. It was going to be the first time his brother and him would have a proper talk since Simba was born. Until that day there were no more than a few good mornings that both of them said because they have manners, but nothing more. Not even yesterday, when he brought Kwenja to Rafiki, Scar dedicated him a word. A simple question, pure curiosity. Anything. _He can't think in anyone else who isn't him_. He thought, a bit furious.

 _You never defended me!_

He stopped abruptly, feeling as he was going to be sick. He looked down and try to catch his breath. It was only a dream, but it was so vivid, and he knew that those words could be spoken by his brother nowadays. He always tried to go warily when he talked to his brother because he feared Scar could dedicated him more than just nasty comments. It was true sometimes Scar was insufferable, but Mufasa couldn't blame him if someday he decided to go further with his sarcasm.

He arrived at the den where his brother liked to spend most of his time. The first thing he heard was the screaming and talking of the cubs. It made him cheer up a bit. He saw Simba playing with his friends; a joyful game of pinning the little ones liked to play. In his and his father's times, the cubs used to do it for improving their hunting skills for the future; now, with a kingdom prosperous, it was only an innocent game. And Mufasa liked it to be that way.

Before Simba could notice his presence, Mufasa saw his brother sat on the entrance of the cave. Absorbed in his own thoughts, as usual, Scar looked down as if he was watching the cubs, but the King knew that was far away from reality. He was never sure if letting Scar all alone with cubs was a wise choice, but he couldn't do anything against it. Sarafina, Nala's mother, started the movement, and because of the fragile relationship between them, he didn't want to say something about it. It still didn't help him to erase his doubts, but he knew he was tied to his own paws.

He threw one last glare to his son. None of the cubs have noticed he arrived. _Good_ , he thought. If he was going to talk to his brother, he didn't want Simba to be present, just in case things would get out of paw. And when his brother was in the middle, that was the only way a conversation had to end. Clearing his throat, he ascended to where his brother was.

As he climbed, more scents began to fill his nostrils. Dirt, leaves, dew, sand… Nature. Things that let anyone know where his brother liked to live, where he belonged. To the nature, free and savage. Not trapped in a kingdom with the chains of responsibility.

 _Your brother is like the wind._

Rafiki had told him. His voice resounding his head, maybe reminding him what he should keep in mind anytime he were near his brother, a way to understand him better and then be able to talk to him in peace, without screams or comments said to hurt the soul. _Only a chat_ , Mufasa thought, _only a chat between brothers._

Looking forwards he saw Scar looking at him, patiently. And Mufasa's thoughts changed drastically when he felt those emeralds staring straight at him. It wasn't going to be a peaceful chat between brothers, it never was. It was a game, an exhausting game of minds. And Mufasa knew he wasn't going to win. He never did. His malaise wouldn't help him.

* * *

 _Ukaidi's frown had disappeared as soon as he began to wrap one of Rafiki's big leaves around her chest. The baboon didn't say anything against helping him, even when he told him it was for a hyena. Rafiki never refused to help someone in need. Their kind weren't important to him. Maybe it was because of that that he was the only one animal he still liked to spend time with._

" _Are you sure she will be fine with this?" asked Shenzi, not wanting to stop looking at her cousin._

" _Yes, she will just need to rest" said Scar, helping the injured hyena to be in a more comfortable position. Ukaidi just moan a bit but then she kept dreaming, finally calmness could be seen on her face._

" _That's easier to say than to do" said Shenzi, laughing a bit._

 _Scar shared her smile. Ukaidi was a fighter, it would be difficult to convince her she had to rest: "I'll be sure I bring you some water more often, and food" he promised, removing the smile from his lips; smiling wasn't something he liked to do too much._

" _Thank you"_

 _Scar looked at her directly. Shenzi sounded more sincere than ever, her dark eyes shone with the gratitude she was feeling. It was true he took care of bringing them food from time to time, that he helped them to enter the Pridelands, knowing where it was safer, but Shenzi never pronounced those words. But he understood this time it was different. He was helping her cousin to recover._

 _Scar didn't say anything, though. He just nodded his head and left._

When he stopped daydreaming about what happened that morning, Scar saw a golden paw stopping in front of him. He didn't need to lift his head to know who it was. He wrinkled his snout. _Everyone but him_ , he thought, annoyed. Now, he wasn't in the mood for standing his brother, he had a lot to think. It was hell already with those cubs running and screaming near to him.

"Yes?" he asked, seeing his brother wasn't saying anything.

He watched him carefully. It was almost like if he had scared him. It was him who came there, was he thinking he wasn't going to say anything to him while he was standing there like a halfwit? Mufasa took a bit before talking. It made Scar nervous. It was like his brother was inspecting him with his eyes, and he hated to feel exposed.

"We have a pending conversation" was the first thing Mufasa said.

Not a greeting, or a question of how he was doing. He didn't have time to feel offended – besides, he was used to that behaviour – as he was trying to find out what he was talking about. He hated to be taken by surprise. And if it was by his brother, he hated it a lot more. Mufasa didn't say anything more, which gave him time to think, and rapidly, he knew what he was referring to.

"Save it, Mufasa, it wasn't them" he said evasive.

It wasn't just because he didn't want to talk to his brother, it was because he didn't want to talk. That was it. He still had the image of a bleeding and pale Ukaidi in his mind, and that made wrath run free through his veins, making his blood boiling. Mufasa seemed to notice this, but, as usual, didn't know the reason behind it… a thing that didn't stop him for speaking his mind.

"How are you so sure?" he asked, a frown adorned his features.

"I asked them"

"And as the word of a hyena is so worthy…" commented the golden lion with sarcasm. He tried to roll his eyes but instead of that made a moan of complaint.

Scar couldn't care less about what was wrong with him: "For me, it is. More than others'"

Mufasa stiffened and tightened his chin. His jaws hurt but not as much as his heart. That sentence felt like a blow in his stomach. In fact, he was feeling nauseous. Putting one paw on his mouth, he closed his eyes, making the gesture of vomit, but luckily for him, that was all that it was: a gesture. He was able to feel almost fine by breathing a few times.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw a blurred figure of his brother in front of him. Scar had become a dark shadow, only his two green eyes were enough clear to be distinguished. They were two emeralds burning his soul, judging him. He blinked a couple of times, wishing to be able to see his brother clearly already, but the only one who was in front of him was his mother, again on the ground with her eyes wide open. Mufasa stumbled when he tried to take a step backwards. In the lifeless eyes of his mother he could see the deception, the anger, the hatred. Mufasa had to close his eyes again, he was unable to keep looking at her anymore.

"Mufasa!"

The voice of his brother, mature and baritone, resounded in his ears. This time, when the King opened his eyes again he was in the entrance of his brother's cave, Scar – finally a clear image in front of him – was looking at him with a raised eyebrow. And Mufasa felt angry. Not only because of what his brother said to him, but because he had had a moment of weakness in front of him. And he knew Scar wouldn't doubt in using this against him, always so reluctant to admit he was stronger than him and hating him because of that. This scene would have been like a present well-wrapped for him. And Mufasa loathed the fact that it was he himself the one who gave it to him.

"Mufasa…" said Scar once again, this time with a frown.

"Putting those scavengers' word ahead of your family's" blurted out the golden lion, also frowning and ignoring the headache that action gave him. "No wonder why you ended like this"

And then it was Scar's time to tense. But, unlike his brother, he didn't seem hurt, only enraged. Even if Scar was a cold lion, Mufasa knew that when his brother got angry, the smartest thing you could do was to leave him alone until he had calmed down, but he was still so annoyed by his insolence, that he didn't stop there. Mufasa wasn't good in playing with others' minds, that was his brother's doing, but he was aware of how many problems Scar had because of his friendship with the hyenas, how everybody kept seeing him as a traitor and, also, Uru's death worsened his situation.

"I try to talk to you, and I only receive impertinences. We've spent four months without having a serious conversation…" he began to reproach him.

"And whose fault is that?" interrupted the dark lion.

"I'm sure you think is everybody's but yours" answered the King rapidly. "You exempt from your responsibilities. It's more comfortable to blame the rest of the world of your distressing way of living"

"I am not exempting, I know my change of behaviour wasn't my fault" growled Scar, containing as good as he could his temper. "As well as you" he added, dedicating the bigger lion a nasty look.

That made Mufasa bare his teeth; he wanted to roar, but he didn't want the cubs to see all this: "I can't take it anymore…" he muttered, shaking his head. Scar thought it was because of deception – a _fake_ deception – and rolled his eyes; Mufasa did it in an attempt to erase the headache that was becoming worse. "I've tried it all with you and you always refused to listen" he sighed, and added: "None are more blind than the ones who refuse to see"

Scar made a face, it was something their mother used to say, and hearing it coming from his brother annoyed him badly: "I think that saying fits more you than me. Or aren't you the one who keep living in a world of wonders the others had created for him instead of trying to see what's beyond the kingdom borders?"

Ukaidi's image was still invading his mind. The Pridelands were in danger as much as the hyenas and cheetahs. He could've told his brother, but as the conversation went on, he lost interest in telling. Let the brave and strong Mufasa fight the wild dogs. Let hope they were more than one hundred. He didn't care what would happen to the kingdom, to the pride and, above all, to his brother.

"I am the one who can't take it anymore" he added with raspy voice.

"Then, leave" Mufasa said right away.

As soon as the words left his mouth, he seemed to realise he shouldn't have pronounce them. Ever. Scar was caught off guard, but was able to replace his surprise for indifference. Yet, anger was burning in his emeralds. And Mufasa knew there was no turning back. He couldn't come back in time and keep silent.

"I see…" said Scar, looking him up and down, making him feel uncomfortable, more than ever. "As you wish, then, your majesty"

Right then, he wished he would have suffered another disconnection from reality but, as a cruel joke of the destiny, he had his five senses sharpened. He could hear the bitterness and hatred in each word his brother spoke, he could feel his sharp look on him – as a scavenger bird waiting for their prey to exhale their last breath – and smelled his scent before he turned around, more than prepared to leave him there. In other occasions, Mufasa had felt really offended that his brother turn his back on him, but he didn't see it that important then. He was more focus thinking if that would be the last time he would feel his brother's emeralds on his pelt, hear his sarcastic tone of voice or smell his scent. He could still say something and making him stop, but his voice abandoned him.

The only thing Mufasa did was standing there, seeing his brother leaving without turning back or dedicating a last glare or word to the cubs. And a rapid flashback of the green eyes of her mother, full of deception, came back to Mufasa's mind, and disappeared as fast as he shook his head.

* * *

 **All Hail King Scar: In following chapters it will be known if Fisi followed Ukaidi or not, and why he saved her. And, yes, he knows what he's doing, luckily for them XD Thank you!**

 **Jem Boy: I haven't seen the Lion Guard, just the episode where Jasiri appeared because it was interesting to see a friendly hyena (finally!). How were they portrayed? Thank you!**

 **Fluffy Dream: Thanks!**

 _ **Sursum corda**_ **!**


	7. Sins of the brother

**So, things are getting darker as the story goes by. Ukaidi's fight proved it, as well as Mufasa's nightmare. At the end, a conversation between Scar and Shenzi maybe made uncomfortable some of you. I'm letting you see the dark writer I have inside. You are warned. Enjoy =)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 7 :**

" _ **Sins of the brother"**_

Mufasa had been tossing incessantly, unable to sleep. He felt completely exhausted and shattered, but still he couldn't feel himself falling in Morpheus's arms. Each time he closed his eyes he saw his mother's green eyes in front of him, lacking of life. He lifted his head from his paws and looked at his right, seeing Sarabi sleeping next to him, with a little Simba curled up in her arms, both with a smile of serenity, probably living sweet dreams. It was an image that cheered him up a bit, at least his mate and son were resting.

Trying to not wake any of them up, Mufasa had gotten up slowly, deciding the best was to get out the cave and try to clear his mind. The cold wind hit him violently, against his warm body, and he shivered. Walking with his head down – thinking that way he wouldn't feel very dizzy – he made the way directly to the gorge. The night gave it a more impressing appearance, and the grey clouds – which still refused to give the kingdom the rain they were holding – made it also darker. It was the best place to be in peace, because nobody would come there in the middle of the night.

Descending the rock walls down, Mufasa found himself in the same place his dream occurred. He would've felt calm if it hadn't been for it. He thought he even heard the hooves of the animals hitting the ground, and for a second his eyes burnt as if dust had reached them. He coughed, and tried to convince himself it was because of the thought of imaginary dust, not because his throat was raspy and hurt.

Mufasa looked up, wanting to see at least one star. It could sound childish, but knowing the stars were with him made him feel less alone. Unfortunately, the nimbus covered the whole sky, and the King made a face of discomfort. He felt a sensation of emptiness he didn't like one bit. Lowing his head slowly, he decided to keep going. As he went forwards, blurred images of wildebeests appeared in front of him, their imaginary horns had hit him, provoking him real pain. When he shook his head and found himself alone in the gorge he understood it hurt because, at each step, his muscles complained. He was too tired to walk, but that wasn't enough reason to stop him. He was trying to get rid of the need of lying down when he was finally where he wanted.

In front of the broken tree he had dreamt about, with the body of his mother.

But, as nothing happened in reality, the tree was intact. Old, weak and withered, but still intact. There was no grass in there, only a dessert, rough and dry. Mufasa could sensed it in his tired paws. Reluctant, he approached the tree, his eyes glued to the place where Uru's body had been in his dream. All of a sudden, she appeared, again looking at him accusatory, but in a blink of an eye her corpse faded away. Mufasa growled under his breath. He couldn't keep going like that, seeing his dead mother each time he lowered the guard. He remembered this happened to him when he was one year old, the age when his mother left him forever. There was no night he didn't see her, or think to have heard her sweet voice calling his name. But those were just bittersweet memories, the same any cub would have when their mother were gone forever. This time, the voice and the expression of Uru was hard, she was accusing him of his sins, reminding him he had done wrong. So wrong it cost her life and his brother's change of behaviour.

 _Scar_. Mufasa thought, wrinkling his nose. He had thrown him out. Without thinking, overcome by rage. But it was done, and he knew his brother would never forget it. In fact, Mufasa doubted Scar was going to be back any time soon. _What if he doesn't come back at all?_ he thought, a bit scared, but he would never admit how much it frightened him to think he could lose his brother _again_.

He had lost him once, the same day Uru abandoned this world. And it was all his fault, all his damn fault. He thought he was doing the right thing, but now, being an adult, Mufasa thought if that was true, if he had broken his brother's trust because he was worried or just because he was jealous. He didn't want to think he had destroyed his brother's life and Uru had died because of a selfish reason.

When his brother befriended the hyenas, he was the first one he was told, along with their mother. Uru and him felt preoccupied over him. Mufasa could remember it as if it had happened just yesterday… It was night, late, maybe as late as now, and Scar had been out all day. Mufasa, always accompanying his father for the lessons of royalty, didn't notice his absence until he returned home, and saw his mother was alone, with a frown of worry.

" _Isn't Taka with you?"_ she had asked, approaching both his father and him. Mufasa could remember the tone of her voice pretty well even if it had passed six years since that.

" _Uh… No… We thought he was with you, as always"_ he had answered, shrugging. And Mufasa frowned slightly. He hadn't sounded that upset about the fact that his brother and mother liked to spend time together, right?

" _He may be somewhere in the kingdom, alone"_ Ahadi had said, passing his mate by. Did his father really sounded as he didn't care? Was he realising now he was older or it was because he felt exhausted and his guilt was taking over him easily?

Whatever it was, he remembered how Uru and him talked without words, and got out the den, searching for his brother everywhere. How scared he had felt just with the thought of not seeing his brother ever again! As opposed to what everybody thought, Scar was the older, just four months older, but it could be a great difference when Scar was more mature than the rest of the cubs. Mufasa was mature, more than anyone of his age, but there were times – like that one – where he wanted to act as the little cub he was and see his brother by his side, feel him and hold him to calm him down. The rest thought it was him just because he was Ahadi's heir, but that was from different reasons: even if he was the younger son of Uru, he was the first-born of Ahadi. And the first-born of a King will be the heir, that was the Law. Uru was the Queen, but she had been a rogue all her life, and was invisible most of the times. Taka was the cub she had with her ex-mate. He never asked what happened to him and why she left. He never felt enough trust to ask such a personal thing. She didn't seem to care, and so, Mufasa didn't mind very much. His mother always seemed happy, with a smile adorning her face no matter what.

But that day, when Scar – or Taka, as he was known back then – hadn't appeared until late at night, his mother didn't smile. Mufasa, from time to time, had forgotten about his worry, and started to wonder if Uru would be that depressed if he disappeared. Even today, he wondered that. Scar was her favourite. Maybe because he was his first son, a cub who was born due to her first marriage, who linked her to her past life, a life which she lived happier. All those thoughts enraged Mufasa, even when he was a little cub of a few months. And it made him hate his brother when he thought he was their mother's favourite. He never told anyone, he tried to fight it on his own, but even today he could feel upset about that, especially when Scar acted as a lost soul.

When Taka returned, he was surprised to see the two of them waiting for him at the verge of Pride Rock. Maybe he thought no one would be waiting for him, and Mufasa felt angry. _Why did he never realise he was loved?_ thought the King. He remembered Uru running to him, crying in happiness, and her smile returned. Mufasa went to nuzzle his brother, but it was a brief caress. A bit of annoyance appeared in his chest when he kept thinking if Uru would've acted the same towards him.

When their mother asked the older cub why he spent all the day out the kingdom, Taka said he had made new friends. Uru smiled with tenderness; Taka was a lonely lion, always spending time with her or alone, he wasn't good at start a conversation with anybody or a game. Mufasa, on his behalf, made a face. He was suspicious of why Taka didn't tell them who they were, and why his new friends weren't in the Pridelands, his mother and him had looked everywhere. It wasn't until the following day when Mufasa asked him directly. He had talked with Uru before going to him, and she understood his worry and was also curious about the matter. Ahadi was going to spend all that day out, in a meeting with others leaders of different packs and didn't want to go with Mufasa as he was still too young.

When Taka confessed his new friends were hyenas, both Queen and Prince opened their eyes in surprise. Mufasa remembered how betrayed he felt, how bad and angry as well. Without noticing, he took a seat below the tree, his red orbs glued to his big and golden paws, but he wasn't seeing them, he could only see the face of his mother, transforming her surprise expression in that motherly smile she always wore for both of them. Mufasa didn't understand it then – he didn't understand it now either – but Uru nuzzled her son and told him she was glad he at least had someone who spend time with.

And that was the last straw: he was aware that Uru preferred Scar over him, he was used to the thought that she loved his brother more than him even if it enraged him, but that? That was another thing. That was like a blow in the snout, maybe by the life, trying to tell him to wake up and see Uru really liked to play the favourites. Would've she done the same if that had been him? Mufasa knew the answer was 'no'. She would've gone to Ahadi and told him everything, but with Scar she did an exception, she promised him she would never tell the old Lion King, and Mufasa did it too. At first, Taka didn't believe him, and made him promise a few more times when they were alone. Finally, later rather than soon, he believed him. And Mufasa saw his brother leaving the Pridelands, as he was called by one of the lionesses to play.

Mufasa closed his eyes and unsheathed his claws unintentionally, burying them in the dirt. Again, a sensation of fatigue taking over him, and he knew it wasn't only because he wasn't feeling fine; that memory made him feel horrible. That afternoon after he had promised his brother he would keep his secret, he told Ahadi everything. The word 'afraid' wasn't enough to define how he felt that day. Ahadi roared with all his might, Mufasa thought the den trembled, and even as an adult, the mere memory of his father's roar made him quiver. The lionesses that formed the pride back then bowed their heads, and hid their cubs, terrified. Uru was the only one who was brave enough to get closer and ask what was wrong. Mufasa felt again the sharp look his mother dedicated him when Ahadi screamed that her son had befriended the hyenas. Loudly gasps were heard, but he didn't care. He felt like the worst animal in the world.

He had tried to make up something that could calm his father down. The only thing he could come up with was that the hyenas fooled his brother, but not even himself believed that. Uru followed the lie as well, thinking that if she saw that acceptable – being the one who knew Taka the most – Ahadi would believe it and the cub wouldn't be in trouble. But even Ahadi, who never spent time with the dark cub, knew Taka was clever, cleverer than anyone in the whole pride. He roared again, silencing him and his mother, and Mufasa had to low his head to erase the dizziness that took over him. He remembered the deep and dark voice of his father saying he was going to look for _that traitor_ and the horrified voice of his mother trying to stop him. Mufasa remembered he wanted to go, but didn't find enough strengths to. _Coward_ , he insulted himself.

When the night fell, the King returned: paws and snout soaked in blood. Mufasa hadn't felt so weak in his whole life, he thought he wouldn't be strong enough to walk and go to where his father was. He had to wait till he was in the entrance of the den. The lionesses and their cubs gasped in horror. Ahadi's red eyes were hardened than ever, and in low voice he declared:

 _The Queen is dead._

Mufasa's world was destroyed in that moment. His mother was dead, killed by hyenas, the ones his brother befriended. He felt angry at everybody, at the world, at the lionesses who cried as if they have loved her as much as he did, at his father for haven't been able to defend her… But he felt angry at his brother, especially. If Scar had behaved, nothing of that would've happened. That thought lasted only a second. _No. It was my fault_. That was all that filled the King's mind now each time he remembered that horrible and dark day. The clouds didn't adorn the place as today, but he felt the night and the following day darker. He had wanted to ask where Taka was, but he decided to be silent. He didn't want to think his brother was dead…

A great hope was born in his chest when he heard Ahadi telling Naanda, one of the lionesses that now formed his actual pride, that Taka escaped with the hyenas. Mufasa wanted to feel betrayed as the rest of the pride, but couldn't. His brother was alive, with a bit of luck, he would come back the next day, and they could talk and he could hold him and make sure he still had him by his side. And he would give him his support. But all those ideas and plans were broken when the sun rose.

Taka came, crestfallen, afraid of the looks the animals around him gave him. Mufasa couldn't sleep that night, so he could be up to see him coming. He wasn't a morning lion, so he was glad in a sense that he wasn't feeling tired or drowsy. He smiled when he saw his brother in front of Pride Rock, and began to run, desirous of talk to him, but two lionesses stepped in front of him, stopping him. At first, he didn't understand, when Ahadi spoke, he did. His father was judging his brother for Uru's death, blaming him. The whole kingdom agreed with him. Mufasa looked in all directions, in search for someone who disagreed. He saw Sarabi – he didn't even notice she had come with her father – and Zazu looking at the crowd of animals, screaming, asking for exile.

Mufasa had never felt his heart beating so fast. He had feared it would get out his ribcage or stop abruptly. Gasping anxious, he looked at his father, the breeze had been whirling up his dark red mane, his voice had resounded through the whole land.

" _Exile!"_ he had declared.

" _No!"_ Mufasa had screamed, his voice finally coming to him.

Mufasa shook his head, trying to erase the memory. He didn't want to rekindle the exile of his brother, didn't want to see his young form running away, afraid of all the animals who started to growl and throw things to him. The entire kingdom celebrated in rage that his brother wasn't going to be back anymore. Sarabi and Zazu approached him then, but he turned around and got in the cave, crying. He hadn't cried when his mother died, the hope that he could be reunited with his brother made him strong enough to not to, but now that he had lost him as well because of him, he couldn't take it any longer.

He had done the same, he had exiled his brother. Maybe he didn't say the word, but he threw him out. His brother only came back because he eliminated his exile, he let him return. It was the only rule of his father that he broke; he didn't dare to call him with his old name, but he found himself brave enough to let him live in the kingdom. Mufasa knew his brother wasn't to blame of what happened to Uru. Yet, he never said it. He never told anyone what happened, how his father knew. Only to his brother, the first night he arrived. He told him, but didn't apologise. It was the last time he saw something that wasn't anger or indifference adorning his brother's face. Scar showed him how betrayed he felt, and also how disappointed. It was the same look he imagined his mother looking at him.

"It's because of me… It's _my_ fault…" said Mufasa under his breath, bowing his head in regret.

"Well, look who we've got here" a voice said, echoing through the whole gorge.

Mufasa opened his eyes and got up rapidly. Bad idea. His stomach seemed to turn around and he wanted to vomit again, and he began to see black spots. He shook his head, trying to pretend he was fine. From the darkness, seven forms with emerged. Their eyes were shining along with their teeth, he could also see the saliva of some of them running down their mouths, letting a few drops on the dry ground. That didn't help him to stop feeling nauseous. He couldn't help but take a step backwards when he realized which animal he had in front of him.

"Wild dogs…" he muttered.

Ignoring his malaise, Mufasa prepared himself to attack at any movement the others would make. One of them was different from the rest. Scratches adorned his body, a few places were just bald patches with dry blood. His yellow eyes that said more than his mouth and marks reminded him of his brother. _Scar told me it wasn't the hyenas_ , he remembered all of a sudden, _he was telling the truth… And I exiled him_. That bitter thought made him hesitate a bit in his position.

"Isn't this what some people call 'luck'?" asked the scarred dog, looking with the corner of his eye to the other six. Three of them smiled, licking their lips, the other three just looked at him with frowns. "We wanted to have a meet with the King, and he is here all _alone_ " he kept commenting, taking a few steps closer.

 _Damn it…_ thought Mufasa. In a normal situation he would've been able to scared them by hurting the majority of them, but his body wasn't feeling up to a fight right then: "What are you doing in my lands?" he asked. They didn't seem interested in talking, but he could try. Maybe he was lucky…

" _Your_ lands?" repeated the wild dog, laughing heartily.

…Or maybe he wasn't….

"These lands are left great to someone like you"

Mufasa growled, furious. "Beg you pardon?"

The wild dog looked at him directly in the eyes: "I didn't say something we all don't know, did I?"

"Get out of the lands of my family" said Mufasa, deciding to ignore the comment. He was used to that game: to use words to make him reach his limit. He had enough practise, and wasn't going to fall for that. "My father exiled your kind. This isn't your place"

"Oh, yes, I remember your father…" said the wild dog then, with a pretended tone of melancholy. A brief shine of annoyance appeared. "Such a… difficult being" he walked even closer, until he was right in front of his snout. Mufasa was surprised he didn't seem terrified of being close to him. "Tell me, Mufasa… Are you still trying to earn Daddy's approval?"

It was a low blow. Something that made Mufasa tremble with rage. When he saw the smile that appeared in the wild dog's face, the King didn't think, just act: he threw him to the ground by a swipe.

* * *

Scar was still shaking with rage when he arrived at the Elephant Graveyard. He didn't have enough patience to stand Banzai's stupid comments, Ed's annoying noises, Shenzi's worry, and the image of Ukaidi again in front of him, but he had nowhere else to go.

His brother had exiled him, threw him out of the kingdom. A part of him was angry – absolutely, completely, _dangerously_ angry – and another part of him felt… What was that feeling? _Sadness_? His chest felt heavier, as he hadn't felt in a long time, and even if he wanted to scream and be angry, he still felt the need of crying. Crying! Only his brother could destroy the world of coldness he had created, only him could break everything he had created for being saved from… _feelings_. Those things made you weak… Of course his brother wanted him to have them again, that way it would be easier to destroy him. _He can wait his whole life if he wants, he will_ never _see me like that anymore._

A new sensation was born in his chest. This one was different from the rest, and was the one which took over him in the end. It was the sensation of betrayal, a nasty taste in his mouth, an uncontrollable rage. Those thoughts of ending with his brother's life filled his head, and it made him feel better than he had felt in months. Maybe years! He had thought of millions of ways to get rid of him which seemed accidents. Mufasa was the King, he had risked his life numerous times, it wasn't strange if one of those proves of how brave and good he was ended in tragedy.

Scar could've taken away his life a lot of times. Mufasa could be strong and brave and all that stuff he didn't see in his brother, but he didn't. It wasn't love, or affection, he didn't feel those things towards Mufasa anymore. It was something more important than get the throne and respect he deserved, more valuable than a victory of brain over muscles. His death had to look like an accident to the pride, but not to his brother. He wanted to see the same pain he had been feeling thanks to him, and he knew the only way to do it was using his son. _That annoying hairball…_

Simba admired him, he wanted to be next to him always. It was a burden. The worst part was that he was exactly the same as his father was in his cubhood, a reason that made him hate him more. But even if that kid was as annoying as his father, he was also what he needed to destroy the mighty King.

 _My brother had been bless not with a son  
_ _but with a weakness_

He had said that to Shenzi four months ago, and he still thought the same. That cub would be the end of his father. Mufasa had learnt to control every emotion, and it was difficult to know how to get to him. Sarabi was smart, even if he didn't like her, so using her would end badly for him instead of his brother. He knew he would have to wait. It seemed as if his brother didn't want to have a cub, a heir. But he knew, sooner or later, he would. Mufasa _adored_ to obey the Law, and this said clearly that the King had to have a son, a heir who would inherit the Pridelands, a promise that those lands would be for that family only. Simba was the last one by the moment, and Scar would make sure he would be it forever. Those lands were going to be his. And of the hyenas as well. And… _They can be of the wild dogs as well_ , Scar thought suddenly.

Yes. They were banished as well, and they were irritated. Their violent actions proved. He knew Shenzi wouldn't agree at first, but he was good with words, and she would be in the palm of his paw. He hadn't forgotten Ukaidi's condition, and it still enraged him, but the enemy of your enemy could be your friend… even if it was for a while… He wasn't going to fulfil any promise he would make to the wild dogs, but they didn't have to know. Who knows? Maybe when his brother and nephew would be out of his way, the hyenas could have their little revenge that would be a celebration of their victory.

"You seem happy today"

A female voice took him out of his thoughts. He saw he was in front of the big skull Shenzi liked to spend the time. She was the one who talked, a sleeping Ukaidi by her side. She was less pale and seemed to be healing faster than he thought. That hyena was stronger than she seemed… He hadn't realised he had been smiling slightly. How couldn't he? Those ideas and images of his defeated brother were enough reason to give the hint of a smile no matter what.

"Ukaidi is recovering as you said, even faster than we thought. She hasn't woken up yet, but she needs to rest, so it's not a big deal" she continued, smiling tired. "But it would be great to hear her voice soon, even if it's just for a second" she added with a sigh.

"She is strong and obstinate, maybe tonight she will be talking to you as if nothing happened" said Scar, approaching the hyena slowly.

"I know she will want to act as if nothing happened" said Shenzi, her expression more serious, her dark gaze as sharp as her teeth. Scar liked to see her like that: it was her true nature, the beast, the hunter, the Matriarch. " _Something did_ happen, and I'm not going to let it go that easily"

"I understand and share your opinion" said Scar, getting a bit closer. Now their pelts were touching, but Shenzi didn't lift her head. "What if I tell you we both can get the revenge we yearn for"

"We both?" repeated the hyena, and this time she looked at him directly. "What do you mean?"

"My brother still doesn't know the wild dogs have returned to the kingdom"

"Until those vermin don't invade his dear Pride Rock…" muttered Shenzi, now baring her teeth.

"True, but this time don't get angry for my brother's selfishness. We can use all this in our benefit"

Shenzi looked at him up and down: "Go on" she said, interested.

"Those wild dogs have come for a reason, and we all know why: they want revenge. My brother doesn't even know how much danger he is in, he still thinks you were the ones who hurt the cheetah" That affirmation made Shenzi angrier, but he kept going: "His irrational hate towards you now can be the most beneficial thing to your clan, Shenzi. Think: wild dogs and hyenas worked together once, and they can be reunited again. You have a common objective: the Pridelands"

"Are you suggesting me that after those bastards hurt my cousin now I have to work with them and give them part of the Pridelands that will be ours once Mufasa and his stupid brat are out of the way?" she blurted out, getting up, agitated.

"Who said you will have to give them anything?" said Scar rapidly, stopping her just in time before her rage would be unstoppable.

"You said we had to work together" she said, with a frown.

"But I didn't say they will have any reward. You will. Once I'm King, you will come back to the Pridelands, that was our deal and my promise. And now, you can celebrate it with a feast"

Shenzi's features softened up, and a smile appeared: "Food and home" she said, taking one step forwards: "Sounds too good to be real. How are you sure they will cooperate?" she asked, with an sceptic look.

Scar could see it was pretended, Shenzi knew that he had an answer to that, otherwise, he wouldn't have told her the plan yet: "All the outcasts become blind when the royal family is in the middle. In the end, they're nothing more than poor unfortunate souls who lost their home because of them" his attention was caught by a bone on the ground. He began to make it going in circles. "Any dog can be domesticated" he declared.

Shenzi saw the shine in the lion's eyes. Scar maybe was slim, and not too big, but he wasn't the kind of animal you would want to mess with. Cold, impassable, passive… and yet as dangerous as his brother when he was truly angry, when he reached the limit. Mufasa had been playing with fire a long time, and now he was going to be burnt. She couldn't help but smile. _About time that arrogant has a taste of his own medicine_ , she thought. She still wasn't sure if the wild dogs were going to help them, or if they were going to listen to them, but she trusted Scar and his ability. He would know what to say. And maybe he was right, maybe they were sick of their exile and decided to act, maybe they thought her clan was going to be an obstacle and decided to attack before trusting Whatever it was, it would be a pleasure to end their lives and give their carcasses an use. They weren't going to let all that meat on the ground, it would be a waste.

"Even wild ones?" she asked, laughing a bit.

Scar crushed the bone under his paw. Both lion and hyena enjoyed the sound it made: "Gather the best fighters of the clan and let's find out"

* * *

 **If any of you want to give a bit of information for the battle Mufasa will have with the wild dogs, go ahead. You know I'm always glad to read anything you have to say =)**

 **Fluffy Dream: Scar wasn't pleased of Mufasa's behaviour. If someone would act that way after seeing one close to me as hurt as Ukaidi I would be really uspet as well. Mufasa is still a bit... Let's stop there. But maybe he can get better. And his nightmare... Well it was created by his guilt, but maybe it's something more. Let's see. Thank you!**

 **All Hail King Scar: Scar won't leave that easily XD. And Mufasa told him to leave the Pridelands, as Scar said he was the one who couldn't take all their problems anymore. It was a horrible thing to do, I know. I think I'm doing him more evil in this story that he was in the first one. Thank you!**

 **Joseph94: Thank you very much! Glad you liked it!**

 **Guest: Thank you for reading, dear!**


	8. Like cats and dogs

**Before starting, I'd want to thank Bill Cosby who wrote a paragraph which inspired me to write the fight. As you say, I won't use it all - basically because I already had a few things thought and decided - but you helped to created a few scenes and how I wanted to write Mufasa, which was the thing that worried me the most. Thank you, I dedicate this chapter to you :)**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 8:**

" _ **Like cats and dogs"**_

The Prince of the Pridelands enjoyed having wonderful dreams each time he went to sleep. Every night he saw himself in the middle of an adventure with his friends, discovering hidden treasures and beautiful places of the jungle of which existence was unknown for the rest of his pride; others, he wasn't a cub anymore, he was an adult lion, with the same red mane his father had – his was thinner and with a lighter tone of red, but still, he could easily resemble his parent – and the same brawny constitution. His pelt shone under the sun like true gold and all the animals bowed at his presence. He felt a sensation of greatness taking over him. If he felt that just dreaming about being King, he wanted to know how it would be like when the crown would be his.

That night, however, he didn't dream anything of that. In fact, he didn't have a dream, but a nightmare. A horrible nightmare. Unlike most of his imaginary worlds, the sun wasn't shining, it wasn't even present; there were just clouds, gathering upon his head, darkened the place he was in. He hadn't been there in his whole life, he didn't know if it was real or not. He only knew it was a great canyon, a place that made him feel smaller than he already was. He felt scared and alone. Why wasn't he accompanied by any of his friends or family? Why was he there all alone? Going in circles, he began to hear his own heartbeats, hitting his little chest and resounding in his ears. Then, another sound caught his attention. Screams, sobs, moans, roars…

The sound of a battle.

Simba didn't lose time and began to run in the direction he heard the fight. In no time he was there and his eyes grew wide. His father was fighting alone against seven strange animals. He had never seen something like them. Their coats were mottled in shades of brown, black and beige and had large, rounded ears and dark brown circles around their eyes, which were shining with ferocity and hunger. They were like zombies, biting and scratching his father's skin until his muscles were shown, staining his golden pelt in crimson. Simba hadn't felt so scared in his short life. He thought his father was strong – _knew_ his father was strong! – and yet there he was: almost beaten up by seven mongrels. Why were they doing that to his father? Mufasa was a good King, just and righteous. Why would someone want to hurt him in such a horrible way?

The roar full of pain of his father made him concentrate again in the image in front of him. His father fell to the ground, defeated, and Simba's heart skipped a beat. He began to hyperventilate through his nose. _Get up, Dad!_ He thought, anxious. _Get up, come on! You can't lose, you never lose!_ But his father couldn't hear him, in fact, he doubted he could hear or feel anything anymore. Simba gathered enough courage to start walking, but stop abruptly when one of his father's enemies leapt on the King's neck, and bit it with all his might, making the monarch roar in pain for the last time before he became limp. Simba paralyzed. Mufasa's blood was flowing rapidly from his neck, soaking his body and the ground below him in red. Simba began to shake from fear and felt nauseous. He didn't know a body could have so much blood.

Simba's head fell, he couldn't keep looking at his father. He had lost him, in front of his eyes, and couldn't do anything to save him, he couldn't even say goodbye to him or that he loved him one last time… Tears began to wet his cheeks, and Simba didn't fight them, he wanted to cry and didn't mind if he looked like an idiot. A laugh was heard, and Simba thought his crying seemed funny to those amoral killers, but paying a bit more of attention, he heard they weren't laughing at him. It was the kind of laugh someone made to rejoice. Lifting his head, Simba saw, through a teary vision, the face of the animal who had ended with his father's like. His snout was covered in blood as well as his sharp teeth. With his yellow eyes shining and a sinister smile, he declared:

" _Now, it's your turn"_

With such images, it was normal that the young Prince woke up screaming and gasping for air. His mother and a few lionesses woke up and looked at the cub with a questioning look. Simba didn't pay them attention and tried to catch his breath. With one look from Sarabi, the lionesses rested their heads, trying to sleep again. The Queen took a look at his son: the poor cub was shaking, out of breath and at the verge of tears. It was shocking. Even if he was just a child, Simba always showed himself as brave and confident; now, he was totally the opposite.

"Simba, dear, what's wrong?" she asked tenderly. Following her motherly instinct, she embraced her son with one paw, putting him closer to her chest.

"Mum…" said the cub, burying his face in his mother's pelt and soaking with tears. His voice sounded broken, no more than a whisper, but she could hear him.

"Ssh, it's alright…" she said, giving him a smile just a mother could do. Licking his head, she added: "Just tell me what's wrong, honey… Was it a nightmare?" the cub nodded his head and kept crying in her chest. "My dear son, it was only a dream. Whatever you saw, it wasn't real" she guaranteed.

"But… But it felt so real…" said the cub, finally able to breathe properly. He wiped his tears with one paw. "I was… I was in a big canyon and…" a rapid image of the dead body of his father in his mind that made him stifled a cry of anguish.

"A big canyon?" repeated Sarabi, narrowing her eyes. "Do you mean the gorge?" she asked with a frown.

"I don't know…" admitted the cub, starting to cry again.

"Simba, calm down, it's okay…" reassured his mother, nuzzling him.

"No, it's not. They were attacking Dad…" Simba finally explained.

"What? Who?" asked the Queen, getting a bit separated from him to look at him directly in the eyes.

"I don't know… I haven't seen those animals in my life…" said the Prince, sniffling. "They… They killed him, Mum. They killed, Dad…" he said, his voice breaking once again.

"Simba…" tried to say Sarabi.

"They killed him… Dad was… Dad was…" the cub began to cry in his mother's chest once again.

"Simba, it's alright" said Sarabi calmly. It broke her to see her beloved son like that, but she had to maintain the composure in order to calm him down. "Simba, listen to me…" she said, lifting her son's head by the chin. "It was only a dream, sweetheart. Nothing like that happened and will ever happen" she promised.

"But… Dad…"

"Dad is here, my dear, he's…" she said, looking where her mate was sleeping… Or where he was supposed to be sleeping. The place where Mufasa slept, next to her and Simba, was empty. Her eyes grew wide. "Mufasa?" she asked to nobody in particular.

"I told you, Mum, he's in that big canyon, he's not here, he's…" began to say the cub, too nervous and with shaking voice.

"He's fine" interrupted the Queen. She didn't know if she was trying to convince her son or herself. "Your father is strong. I'm sure he only went outside to breathe some air or he's watching the borders" she saw her son wasn't believing her. In fact, not even her was believing herself. "We can go to look for him" she proposed. "I'm sure he's okay, but it wouldn't harm any of us… What do you say?"

"Yes" said the cub, getting up rapidly.

It wasn't full of energy, as other times Mufasa or her proposed him to spend the time together, it was anxious, and Sarabi felt her heart hurting with that sight of her son. She licked her son's head one last time before begin to get out the den. The clouds were still there, blocking the sun and its light. She wrinkled her nose. _At least, it could rain a bit_ , she thought, with annoyance. She felt her son stopping beside her, bending down. She looked forwards and was surprised to see that animal in front of them.

"Izulu, what are you doing here?" asked the Queen, trying to sound as if she wasn't at the verge of a panic attack.

The cheetah took a step backwards, her lapis lazuli eyes shining with mistrust: "I… I know maybe it's too soon for coming, but… But I would want to see my brother… Please" she said with tiny voice, timid.

Sarabi relaxed a bit. Izulu's brother, Kwenja, had been hurt by hyenas a couple of days before. She didn't like lions very much – as the majority of her kind – but at least she showed herself more cordial and predisposed to listen to them. Her worry now made her feel sadder, because she had in mind the words Simba had spoken. What if it wasn't only a dream but an omen? It was true her son had said he hadn't seen the animals that attacked Mufasa in his dreams ever in his life, but maybe he was too scared to even notice they were hyenas, or his dream and fear made them even uglier and stronger. Simba had never seen a hyena, only heard the descriptions she and Mufasa had given to him. And he had a great imagination. Everything was possible.

But she had to shake her head. No. Mufasa was strong. He could handle a few hyenas if there were still some enough fool to fight against him. She wasn't worried for her mate, just scared that something could happen. But she wasn't going to put a dream and her fears ahead of something real. And Kwenja's condition and Izulu's worry were real.

She smiled tenderly at her: "Of course, Izulu. Come with me" she said, advancing towards her. When the cheetah turned around to descend Pride Rock, Sarabi threw a rapid glare to her son: "Go inside. I saw Sarafina woke up, and I'm sure she hasn't fallen asleep yet. Stay with her" she ordered.

"But, Mum…" tried to complain the Prince.

"Go" interrupted the Queen. "Simba, I'll be back soon, don't worry. Just stay in the den"

"Can't I go with you?"

"No, son. Please, go inside" she said, now calmer and sweeter.

"Alright…" the cub finally said, returning to interior of the cave.

Sarabi sighed relieved and went to Izulu's side, who was waiting for her. _Mufasa is alright_ , she tried to convince herself. _I just know it. Simba is a cub, cubs sometimes have nightmares…_ She thought. Then, she wrinkled her features. _But they are not usually that violent…_ She could only trust her mate. Mufasa maybe was doing one of the things she had told her son before. She had to believe that… Anyway, she would try to reach Rafiki's tree as soon as possible. Once Izulu arrived, she would leave to look for her mate.

* * *

There was a gasp when the yellow-eyed wild dog fell to the ground due to his swipe. Then, silence. The rest of dogs looked at the limp form of their friend for a second, and then, their whole attention was on him. Mufasa felt the hatred and rage, but didn't feel afraid. He could handle them. They weren't big or strong enough. He had fought with a higher number of hyenas in the past. True, he wasn't sick back then, but he doubted that would matter.

"One last chance" said Mufasa. A step forward. Resolute. "Abandon these lands and never come back"

Three of the wild dogs bared their teeth at him, whilst the other three just looked at each other, considering that option. Those didn't seem to want to fight, and Mufasa was glad. Because if a fight occurred in his condition, it would be easier to get rid of three dogs – which seemed to be off their rocket – than six.

Everyone jumped surprised when a mocking laughter sounded. The wild dog Mufasa had hit was getting up slowly, shaking from his own laugh. He seemed to be very amused, but that sound made chills go down the King's spine. He had hit him with all his strengths. Even if he didn't want to kill him at the first opportunity – he believed more in talking and try to come to a solution before using the muscles – but he truly believed he did it. That blow should have killed him. Or, at least, knocked him. But there he was: laughing at him, getting up, and looking dissolutely at him. Mufasa could see he wanted to rip him out, to bury his claws in his pelt until he felt his bones. It was a disagreeable image, but he wasn't going to bow his head. He had to stay cool.

"Isn't this funny?" said the dog getting up and approaching him once again. He had three scratches that were bleeding for the blow he received, but he wasn't showing any signs of pain. "Your pride is so big that you really think you still have control over us"

That just made Mufasa's anger grow: " _I_ am the King of these lands…"

"Exactly, of _these lands_ " interrupted the dog, with too much hubris for Mufasa's pleasure. "You take pleasure in ordering everyone around you: from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope. But your father, the just, exiled my kind long ago, and now, what we saw as a punishment, have become the best of blessings…"

The tension could be breathed. Mufasa's rubies were glued to the dog's citrines. Hatred was clear in both pair of eyes. The King was confused by the wild dog's words: if they weren't angry by the exile, then why were they doing that? His confusion – for his misfortune – was seen by the wild dog, who smiled widely.

"Now we are free" he explained, tilting his head to one side. For a moment, he seemed like a lost and innocent animal; Mufasa could feel that was very far from reality. "Free to do _this_!"

The wild dog unsheathed his claws as he finished his sentence and scratched the King's snout, tearing off a bit of his skin. Mufasa heard gasps and laughter at the same time, and thought that group was divided by four psychopaths and three pacifists. He wasn't going to lose time in figure out who was in which group. As the blood began to go down his right cheek, Mufasa raised his paw to give back the swipe, but two dogs leapt on his back. He felt the teeth of one of them trying to reach his neck, but his mane kept him safe. He focus on the on who was tearing his left shoulder out. Mufasa bared his teeth and grabbed the wild dog by the neck – tightly, closing his jaws as much as he could, wanting to close his mouth around the animal's neck – and the wild dog moaned in completely pain, his cry resounding through the whole gorge. Mufasa threw him to the wall, and the animal made a thump when he crashed against it and the ground. His body was completely limp and a puddle of blood was forming below him. _One less_.

The King shook his head when he started to feel the wild dog in his neck scratching his mane, desperate to hurt him. The painted wolf finally fell, but, refusing to give up, got up in a second and prepared to leap again. Mufasa, with the corner of his eye, saw that a third wild dog was running towards them. An insane and savage shine in his coral eyes. The King didn't think twice before hitting the wild dog who had been trying to bit his neck, throwing him to the running dog. Both collided against each other, rolling over the ground, and raised their heads, clearly dizzy. Mufasa kept an eye on them, and bared his teeth, wanting to terrify them.

But those two were the minor of his problems. A sharp pain was felt in his right shoulder, and it made him roar loudly. It wouldn't be such a matter if his left one wasn't already hurting for the injury the already deceased dog gave him, but now both of his shoulders were in pain, and this new wound were the worst. Mufasa fell to the ground, unable to be up with only his two rear legs. The yellow-eyed dog had his teeth deep buried in the King's shoulder, and wasn't going to let go. In fact, he was starting to bite with more vehemence, savouring the blood.

The monarch began to feel the dizziness coming back to him, but refused to show it. He tried to get up with his left paw, but his skin and muscle were torn, and just a move created a sharp pain that avoided him to stand on that paw. His mind was working fast, trying to find a way to get out of that situation. He didn't need to do anything. One of the wild dogs, who hadn't intervene in the fight, leapt on the yellow-eyed dog, throwing both of them to ground. It was a relief, and Mufasa looked behind his backs, seeing the two dogs; the one who had stopped with his pain was a female with sky-blue eyes, slim and elegant. Her pelt, on the contrary of the rest, was clearer, painted in grey and beige. Her tail was hairless at the tip, and seemed that the rest of it was going to end exactly the same. She was pinning the male down, both sharing and dedicating an irritated look.

"That is enough" spoke the female; her voice clear, mature and deep. "Uhari, that wasn't the plan"

The male, Uhari, hissed and pushed the female off him: "The plan?" he repeated, clearly furious. "The plan is to get these lands back, and I'm going to do it" he informed, passing the female by, who was looking at him disgusted.

"No one was supposed to be hurt" said the dog, her sky-blue eyes shinning now with dejection; a rapid glare to the carcass of the wild dog.

A small laugh of mocking from Uhari's part made her angrier: "Are you really the leader of this pack, Nyeti? Nor you or Batili know there are _hurt_ animals already" he said with a smile of joy, for sure remembering his victims.

"You acted without consent" a male voice said.

The two dogs that hit their heads by Mufasa's swipe were now coming back with the other two wild dogs who had been seeing the argue between Nyeti and Uhari, one of them – smaller than the yellow-eyed male, but older and also clearly as strong as him – decided to take a step forwards and take part in the matter. His muscles made him seem less fragile as the female dog, but looking deeper, Mufasa saw he was as slim as her. His painted pelt was darker, and in his eyes shone two garnets. The King took advantage of the fight, and close his eyes, trying to gather enough strengths to get up and continuing fighting. He wasn't going to leave without a victory.

And it wasn't because of pride, it was because it was starting to be personal. The wild dogs hadn't trespass his lands for eating – a thing that could still made him mad, because they weren't following the law and were ignoring their exile, but still, it wasn't that dangerous – they had done it to kill, and for pleasure. They attacked even a predator. And they seemed to enjoy the memory. That behaviour wasn't going to be unpunished. While trying to recover strengths to be on his four paws, he heard the three voices of the wild dogs, and began to feel thin raindrops wetting his pelt.

"I don't need any consent from you" said Uhari, annoyed and baring his teeth.

"You do. Nyeti and I are the leaders of the pack. Our word is the one that had to be listened and followed" said the male, Batili, with serenity and toughness.

"If it had depended on you and Nyeti, we would've been starving to death" said Uhari with resentment. "Why do we have to bow our heads to them? We don't owe them a shit!"

"Uhari…" said Nyeti with calm voice. She sounded like a mother, trying to control her pup.

"He is the son of the lion who kicked us out!" he screamed, not hearing the female at all. He approached Mufasa, and the King stopped trying to get up. It would be better if the dog was confident. "His father exiled us, took away our home and our life in the Pridelands! He is following his father's pawprints" he stopped by the King's side, and Mufasa couldn't be gladder for the dog's arrogance. "Meanwhile you are playing the nice guys thinking we all live in the country of the lollipop, _I_ prefer to live in the real world, where we are nothing in their eyes!"

A smile adorned Uhari's face. It didn't show happiness, just longing of fresh meat and blood. Nyeti and Batili could see it and became tensed. They knew Uhari despised lions and any other animal who lived in the Pridelands, but that wasn't what they had to do, that wasn't the mission. _He_ would be really upset.

"Uhari, don't" said Nyeti, taking a step forwards, cautiously.

"The master wants him alive" said Batili rapidly, with a hard look. "I doubt he would be happy if he sees his favourite disobeying his orders"

"Oh, is that the problem, then?" said Uhari, blinking in a pretended innocent way. "Don't worry, Batili, your authority is still intact…" he said, laughing at the end. "I won't kill him, I appreciate my life…"

"Good" said the darker wild dog.

"Inflicting pain is worse than death, anyway" he declared.

The couple understood those words, and screamed 'No!' at the same time Uhari turned around to scratch, bit, or anything that could harm the lion a bit more. Mufasa, for the dog's misfortune, understood him as well, since he began talking, and as Uhari turned around he leapt, using his rear legs to not using his front paws until he had that sadist under his control. Uhari, ironically, bowed his head once he saw the King standing in front of him. A roar resounding through the whole gorge, scaring the whole pack. None of them, however, counted with one thing:

That one of them would go to save Uhari.

Mufasa remembered there were three wild dogs who didn't want to fight. Two of them had already risen their voices against the yellow-eyed one's actions. But the third one, the smaller and younger of them, didn't talk or act until he saw her companion in danger. It happened too fast. She screamed 'Look out!' at the same time she ran to him, and pushed him, taking his place. Mufasa didn't stop, and pinned her to the ground. He would've preferred it had been Uhari, but still, a wild dog, was a wild dog.

He didn't press too much, though. The young female was trembling in fear and tears were now wetting her cheeks and misted over her dark blue eyes. Broken moans got out her mouth. She was looking at him, terrified. She didn't know what he was going to do to her. For her surprise, he wasn't tearing her skin with his claws, but still she was pressed against the ground by his big paw. In the red orbs of the King, rage was clear. She threw a glare to the two wild dogs who had given the King his bleeding wounds and torn his mane; both had their tails between their legs, and their ears were pinned. Their braveness faded away. And, without waiting for anybody, they ran off. _Cowards_ … she thought, angry.

"Ujinga!" Nyeti screamed. She ran to Mufasa, or tried to, as Batili stepped in front of her, stopping her. "No, don't hurt her!" she pleaded, already crying.

Mufasa took a look at the three of them. Nyeti was crying, supporting herself on Batili, who was dedicating him a look full of hatred; Uhari, on his behalf, shared his look, but with more ferocity, and bared his teeth at him.

"Get out" he ordered. His body began to shake. He couldn't use his front legs too much, not until they were healed. "Get out of my kingdom, and never come back" he looked at all of them, but none moved. He bared his teeth, and put more pressure on Ujinga's small body. The wild dog moaned. "Out. Or I kill her" he threatened.

"No!" screamed Nyeti. She took a step forwards, but then stopped herself, thinking that would make things worse. "Please, no!" she pleaded, feeling completely powerless. "Don't kill my sister, please, your majesty, I beg you!"

"Leave" said Mufasa, trying to ignore the sadness in the wild dog's eyes. "I don't want to see you here. If you trespass the borders of my kingdom again…"

"What will you do?" asked Uhari then, interrupting him.

"Uhari…!" said Batili under his breath, upset.

"Come on, tough guy, let us see what you're capable of" he challenged.

"Uhari, my sister…!"

"He's lying, Nyeti" said the wild dog, smiling with superiority at the King.

"I am not" said the King, feeling furious by his attitude. "Leave the Pridelands and never return, or I kill her" he repeated the threaten once again, this time angrier.

"Go ahead, then" said Uhari, lifting his chin.

"No!" screamed Nyeti with broken voice.

"It would be easy" said Mufasa, teeth bared. "Like crushing a repugnant bug" he added, making Nyeti's crying louder and also more broken. He could feel Ujinga's breathing becoming rapid breaths.

Uhari didn't seem to notice, or decided to ignore their suffering: "Go ahead" he said again. "Your audience is waiting"

Mufasa was taken by surprise with that. He looked at the female, crying over her mate's shoulder. Batili was dedicating him the most powerful gaze he had never seen. Nyeti seemed broken, so broken it made his indifferent appearance to disappear. His eyes fell to the youngest wild dog, still shaking and now hyperventilating. She was preparing for a swipe that would end with her life. Was this the correct thing to do? That dog didn't seem to want to fight, she was there only because she wanted to save one of her friends, and wasn't even fighting back or showed herself savage towards him. As he heard, she was the sister of the older female, the one who made Uhari stop biting him.

 _They had trespassed the lands and hurt innocent animals just for fun_ , he thought, _Kwenja is gravely injured, his sister is broken…_ Slowly, he looked up, looking at the crying wild dog again. She couldn't even be on her feet, she was suffering a lot. He had seen them on action, he had heard they didn't agree on Uhari's way of living, destroying others' lives for pleasure. Mufasa's two front legs began to shake. The wounds were hurting and smarting. He had to be examined. The image of the baobab filled his mind, and there was nothing more he wanted more than go to Rafiki and be healed as soon as possible to resolve the problems.

Mufasa closed his eyes and, unwillingly, he stopped pinning Ujinga down. The wild dog looked at him, impressed, and, when she saw the King wasn't going to do anything more than look to the ground, she ran to her sister. Nyeti imitated her, as if she had been given back all the strengths she had lost a minute ago. Both sisters embraced each other tightly. The older was crying her eyes out, but now it was because of relief; the younger was still in shock, and the only thing she could do was hold her sister tight, as if she was afraid of being separated from her again.

"Jin…" said Nyeti between sobs.

"Sister" muttered the younger, nuzzling her snout against her sister's neck.

Mufasa raised his sight, seeing the scene. They were the enemy, they could be dangerous for his people… And yet, he couldn't help but feel warm inside. He had reunited two siblings, and both couldn't do anything more than cry for happiness and hug each other. It reminded him of how his brother and him used to be. The memory made him melancholic and sad. He wished he could be able to reconcile with his brother and reunited them as he had done with those painted wolves.

Uhari's laughter broke the silence and destroyed the scene. Mufasa looked at him with a frown, and, for his surprise, the three wild dogs did the same.

"Oh, bravo!" said Uhari. He sat to clap in a sarcastic way: "Another visual proof of how pathetic this new King is!" he commented. Mufasa growled infuriated. "And how coward as well" he stopped clapping and began to walk towards him. "Ahadi must be _so_ proud of his favourite son…"

That was a low blow. It was worse counting that he had fought with his brother and exiled him that morning. The only reminder of his brother enraged the King so much more. He didn't even feel his illness, his wounds, the rain falling with more intensity or anything at all. His rage took over him. A flaw he had always carried with him since he was born until today, and for the rest of his days, it seemed…

Mufasa roared till the top of his lungs. This one resounded through the whole gorge and beyond. If he hadn't been so angry, he would've been as surprised as the wild dogs for how much power his roar held. He didn't know it could sound so powerful, but, again, he hadn't felt so angry in his whole life. Because you could mock him, you could insult him, challenge him, bring up his flaws, even in front of his pride, embarrassing him… But his brother was his brother; _no one_ could name him, and less in such a derogatory manner. That was the last straw.

"Leave now before I do something I could regret" warned the King, teeth bared.

The wild dog, amused by his reaction, began to laugh: "As you did now?" he asked, enjoying with his anger.

"With you, it would be more than delightful to do it" said Mufasa. He never sounded so dark, but he wasn't going to forgive or forget this time. Not after what that wild dog had said. "Run away, wild dog, run away and never return. You have no more allies"

As the words got out his mouth, Mufasa began to hear growling from behind. Uhari's smile appeared once again, his yellow eyes shining in the darkness of the rainy night.

"Are you sure?"

Mufasa turned his head, seeing, emerging from the shadows, more wild dogs. They had light in their eyes, their teeth were sharp and prepared to rip his skin and taste his blood. Their steps were slow but swift at the same time. Even Batili, Nyeti and Ujinga looked at the scene with wide eyes, which made the King think not even them knew this was going to happen, didn't wait for more to come. They were more than ten, more than fifteen… Among them, the two wild dogs who had left running were as well. _They left to call the rest_ , thought Mufasa, angry at himself. He had been fooled. And now, his possibilities of winning were decreasing. He would try, anyway. He wasn't going to run. He was the King, and would fight for his kingdom and pride.

* * *

"Did it happen here?"

"Yes. Here exactly"

Scar lowed his head and smelt the ground beneath: "Rain must have erased the blood, but it still can be sensed" he commented.

Fisi rolled his eyes and hissed, annoyed: "Did you bring more than twenty hyenas to smell the ground?" he complained.

Scar looked at him with tedium, and explained: "Leaping to a fight without thinking is a stupid action; just because stupidity is one of your attributes, doesn't mean it has to be one of mines as well"

He passed the hyena by, feeling the hatred his look carried. Shenzi watched the scene between those two, and sighed. She looked in the direction they had come. She had left Ukaidi alone with Banzai and Ed. Maybe they weren't the smartest, but they cared about their cousin. Even if the three of them never stopped fighting, Shenzi couldn't imagine a life without her brothers. She was glad Ujanja adopted them when they were pups…

At least, Ukaidi would be in peace once she woke up. She wasn't being that lucky. A rapid glare to Fisi. The hyena looked at her with annoyance, and with a severe glare, she made him understand he had to be silent. She was aware of how much Fisi despised Scar. Just because he was a lion – more than that, he was the brother of Mufasa! – and he couldn't stand his presence or his talking; he hated to see him around the Graveyard and interacting with her clan. Even if she could understand him a bit, Shenzi refused to be blinded by those prejudices. Her mother trusted in him, told her Scar would be useful to them in the future… Besides, the lion himself didn't want to be reminded to be Mufasa's brother, it was a taboo true, for calling it something… And she made sure to never bring up the King if it wasn't necessary or Scar started first. The rest of the hyenas understood that rule immediately. Fisi as well, but he decided to ignore it. He was a pain in the neck, till he was little…

"Do you think they will come back?" asked Shenzi, approaching Scar. Her five senses sharpen.

"I think they change the destination as the days pass by" he said, more to himself than to her, but the Matriarch listened carefully. "I don't know if they had had their way in other places, but I know the cheetahs suffered from an attack, and one day after, your cousin and Fisi were attacked here" he looked at her with the corner of his eye.

"They're entering the Pridelands slowly" she noticed.

Scar nodded: "They've been hunting near the borders and now inside the kingdom"

"They're trying to bug your brother" said the Matriarch, a bit of amusement was heard in her voice. Scar couldn't blame her if she enjoyed that other animal was bothering Mufasa. He, in a sense, was glad as well.

But there was a hint: "You said it yourself: they're _trying_. Don't forget Mufasa still blames you for what happened"

Shenzi frowned, annoyed: "I still can't understand how such a fool can be King of anything"

Scar looked at her covertly. Usually, Shenzi was careful about talking in such a manner about Mufasa in front of him, respecting the fact that he was his brother. Even if he had told her he didn't see the golden lion as such, she still seemed to respect that bond. Maybe more than him or Mufasa did. He didn't say anything about the insult. Shenzi was angry, burdened by her cousin's condition. Knowing that her clan could be in danger stimulated her protective side.

The dark lion began to think. The wild dogs were advancing. Slowly, but advancing. They liked to leave a trail of blood and enjoyed doing it. They were trying to call the King's attention. Why? They knew their condition, and knew they weren't enough to challenge Mufasa in a fight, because he could beat them, along with the lionesses. If they were lions, things would be different: when another male challenge the leader of a pride, the lionesses can't help their leader – or King in this case – and both males would fight until one of them give up or died. But they were just wild dogs, outcasts, pariahs of their society. They would lose their lives if they dare to…

His thoughts were interrupted when a deep and powerful roar resounded through the whole land. Scar thought he wouldn't be wrong if he thought it reached Pride Rock, even if that was implausible. It sounded angry, furious, dangerous… It was…

"What the hell was that?" asked Shenzi who, as the rest of the clan, jumped afraid at the sound of the roar.

"It's Mufasa" answered Scar.

He didn't know if it was curiosity or instinct, but he started to run in the direction the roar came from. He felt the hyenas following him. They were running blindly, but he knew where he was heading to: the next place wild dogs would be that night, the gorge.

* * *

 **All Hail King Scar: Mufasa could confront them, but now he is in more trouble. But maybe not all hope is lost =P And, yes, Scar is more evil here... and I like it XD Thank you!**

 **Jem Boy: Well, Scar will be more cold in this version, but maybe little Simba can change that. He's too adorable. Thanks!**

 **Fluffy Dream: I changed the story like a thousands of times, finally it turned out fine! XD Glad you enjoyed reading it. Thanks!**

 **Joseph94: Thank you! PS: You will.**

 **Handy Dandy: Alright, don't worry. I'm glad you're confused, because I want to confuse all of you until the story is over and everything is solved XD! I'll try to explain it, but it still you don't understand, keep asking, don't worry. In the _dream_ , Mufasa tries to save Uru from a stampede, but he doesn't succeed. Then, he sees his brother and father arguing about Taka being guilty for her dead for betray his pride. In _reality_ , Mufasa and Uru were told by Taka he befriended hyenas, and Mufasa, thinking it was the right thing to do, told his father, defaulting on the promise he made Taka about never tell anybody. Ahadi is furious, and goes to look for Taka for explanations. Uru goes with him, to mantain her mate in control because she's afraid Ahadi can't handle the situation with tact and try to let him see Taka didn't do something that wrong. Mufasa _wants_ to go as well, but doesn't, because he's too afraid and nervous, and stays on Pride Rock. When the night arrives, Ahadi returns alone and with blood in his snout and paws for a battle, and informs the pride hyenas killed Uru and he couldn't do anything even if he fought with them, also Taka left. Mufasa never saw what happened in the gorge, and as he sees his father is angry and also a bit sad, believed him. Still, he can't hate Taka, because he doesn't want to lose him as he had lost Uru, and thinks they can sort things out. But the next day, Ahadi exiles Taka and names him Scar as a reminder of the murder of Uru. Why Mufasa dreamt about a stampede will be explained the next time he talks to Rafiki about his dream, so don't worry about that yet. Hope I could help you and thanks for the support =)**

 **Bill Cosby: As I said at the beginning, than you very much. You inspired me to finish this chapter and keep going with the story. This chapter is for you. Thanks =)**

 _ **Sursum**_ **corda!**


	9. Change of mind

**Chapter 9 :**

" _ **Change of mind"**_

The trajectory from Pride Rock to the baobab wasn't too much, but for Sarabi it seemed eternal. The heavy silence both females shared wasn't annoying for any of them. Izulu had her lapis lazuli eyes glued to the ground, her mind full with thoughts and fears created by her angst; the Queen was living a similar situation. She couldn't stop thinking about her son's dream, and the disappearance of her mate. None of them saw Mufasa on the way. The borders were deserted, and at the watering hole there were only a few gazelles and elephants with their children. Sarabi proposed Izulu to drink something and, for her fortune, the cheetah accepted, admitting she hadn't drunk anything in all the way to Pride Rock. While she was drinking, Sarabi asked the gazelle and the elephant if they had seen the King, but she only received a shook from their heads.

 _Mufasa, where have you gone?_ she thought, with a frown. Her worry mixed up with rage. How many times had she told him to let her know if he was leaving or staying? A lot of times. Even before they were married. But Mufasa tended to act in the shadows and in silence, not wanting anyone to know what he was doing. Ironically, he hated when the rest did that to him. And plenty of times, the marriage had arguments about that habit that drove Sarabi round the bend. _I hope you're alright_. She thought, pinning her ears.

"Everything is alright?"

The shaking voice of Izulu took her out of her thoughts. Just one look was enough to see clearly how scared the cheetah was. Sarabi wanted to hit herself. She was being inconsiderate. Mufasa was the King, it was his obligation to take care of everything. She didn't have to be informed of where he would head to. As the Queen, her obligation was to be there for the animals who needed help when the King wasn't around, and she also had to raise the heir of the monarch and be the leader of the hunting party. That was her job. That had been the job of the Queens of the Past, and they all had done it obeying in silence. Mufasa had his duties, and she had hers, and she hadn't been doing it correctly.

"Don't worry, Izulu, everything is fine" she said, giving the cheetah her best smile. "I'm sorry for my behaviour" she apologised, bowing her head.

Izulu blinked perplexed a few times before saying: "There's no need for apologising! I know I should've waited…"

"No" interrupted the Queen, shaking her head. Looking at her directly in the eyes, she said: "As the Queen, I have to be there for anyone in need. I'm aware of your situation, and you are the one who has nothing to be sorry about"

Izulu stopped walking, and dedicated the Queen a glare full of admiration. Her eyes were wide open and shining with respect. In that moment, she remembered Mkali. Sarabi sounded just as firm yet gentile as her leader. It was the first time she saw a similarity between her kind and lions. All her life, she was taught lions were egocentric animals, with a pride too big to handle; now, that teaching seemed silly. Of course, she didn't think the Queen was caring for her brother, but her attitude and responsibility towards the situation were exemplary.

Izulu was about to thank her, to try to start a conversation with her, to try to see if she could see more than Sarabi's stoic appearance let her know. But both females jumped afraid when a yell broke the silence of the dawn. The Queen immediately sharped her five senses to see where the sound came from, but Izulu didn't need to do such a thing. She could've recognised that scream no matter what.

"Kwenja!" she said, overcome by fear again. "Brother!" and she ran to where the baobab was.

Sarabi didn't lose time and followed her. She decided to overtook her; she had a bad presentiment, and thought the best was to be first in case she had to keep Izulu for seeing what happened. But even if Sarabi was fast, she couldn't win over a cheetah. Immediately, Izulu arrived at the tree the shaman of the kingdom lived, and gasped in horror. The Queen used all her strengths to be there. She was lucky they were close to the baobab, other way it would have taken her more time to arrive in time.

Izulu's rapid gasps were almost silenced by Kwenja's growls and yelps. Both her and Sarabi were petrified when they saw the older brother of the cheetah on his feet, with a dangerous gleam in his dark eyes. His jaws were terrifying, especially when they saw he was dedicating the gesture to Rafiki. The shaman was standing in front of him, with his crook well held in his hands. His whole body was tensed and he had both eyes glued to the form of the cheetah.

Kwenja finally leapt on the baboon, and Izulu's scream resounded through the whole land. Sarabi was able to muffle a yell, and, astonished, watched how Rafiki was able to dodge Kwenja's attack easily. She had never seen him in a fight. Probably no one in the kingdom did. But she admitted he was good. So much that she was impressed and also hypnotized by how fast his moves were, almost equalising the cheetah.

With agility, Rafiki was able to escape. Sarabi felt he wasn't going to hit him; Kwenja was already hurt enough. And then, it hit Sarabi. _Kwenja was gravely injured, he spent a whole day sleeping, it's impossible he is able to move that way._ She paid more attention when both animals stopped moving, and saw the trail of blood the cheetah had left on the wood. His wounds were opened again. Something very normal if he decided to fight in such a manner one day after he was hurt, but still Kwenja didn't seem to care or feel the blood loss. That was enough to terrify Sarabi, but not enough to convince her to stand there watching one of her subjects being hurt.

"Kwenja" she called, firmly. "Stop at once" she ordered, taking one step forwards.

She wasn't able to walk any closer as the cheetah turned around and leapt on her in the blink of an eye. The Queen hit the ground with a thump. She thought to hear Rafiki's voice saying something to her, but she was too busy looking at the cheetah's eyes. His irises were blurred, those eyes lacked life and concentration. Sarabi felt the warm blood staining her stomach and chest, and a part of her told her it wasn't right to attack Kwenja in his situation. But once the cheetah opened his mouth and prepared to bit her neck, the Queen's instinct made her kick her adversary and pull him off.

Kwenja yelped at the feeling of sharp claws in his open wound, and fell to the ground between gasps and growls. Sarabi got up immediately, prepared to attack if he kept insisting on fighting against her or any of the presents. Her moral told her it was wrong to do it, but her logic convinced her she was only defending herself. And she wouldn't forgive herself if something bad happen to any of the other two animals just because she listened to the feelings in the middle of a battle.

Izulu, however, seemed to not agree.

"Stop!" screamed the young cheetah, jumping between the Queen and her brother. "Please, do not hurt my brother!" she pleaded with teary eyes to the lioness.

"Izulu, step aside" she said abruptly.

"No!"

"You could be harmed"

"No! He is my brother!"

With the corner of her eyes, Sarabi saw Rafiki walking closer to them. His serious expression and frown worried the Queen even more.

"Listen, Izulu… Right now, this cheetah is not…"

The shaman's words were interrupted when Kwenja leapt on Izulu, and both siblings rolled over the ground. It was clear Izulu, though she had a calm appearance, was also a good fighter, and her first reaction was to defend herself from the attack. The Queen and the shaman heard Izulu's yelps and Kwenja's growls. Sarabi clicked her tongue with nuisance. She couldn't think of anything for helping any of them. Rafiki's voice, an almost inaudible sound, continued:

"…He's not your brother anymore"

Sarabi looked at him. If some of the lioness of her pride had been there, they would've had been surprised to see the fear in her red-orange eyes. She was about to ask the baboon what he was talking about. That one who attacked all of them was Kwenja, it was pretty clear. A loudly thump made the Queen be silent. Both siblings were no longer there.

"Izulu!" screamed the Queen, running to border of the branch. Rafiki was immediately by her side, seeing that now the female was on the top of her brother, pinning him down while the male tried to get free. "Izulu, be careful!" said Sarabi, and she and the shaman began to descend the tree with mastery.

Izulu didn't hear the Queen's warning, she didn't even hear any of them coming. She was only focus on her brother. As Sarabi, she saw the lack of concentration in the male's eyes. Those eyes which were always shining with life and joy were now empty.

"Kwenja…" she muttered. From her lapis lazuli eyes tears were born, and fell down her cheeks. "Brother, what happens to you?" she asked, closing her eyes and shaking, feeling powerless. "This is not you… You would never hurt me… You would never hurt anyone…" she told him. When she opened her eyes again and saw her words were not causing any effect on the male, she became desperate and her voice raised: "This is not the Kwenja I was raised with! Brother, please, come back!"

When that sentence was over, Izulu felt her brother was no longer moving, he had stopped fighting against her touch. Sarabi and Rafiki stopped at the same time, seeing the scene. The Queen was still tensed, prepared to act if something went out of control again. But nothing of that happened.

Instead of that, they saw Kwenja gasping, looking at his sister. Izulu smiled, and kept crying, but this time it was from happiness. Her brother's eyes were no longer blurred, he was looking at her.

"Izu…" he whispered. Then, he complained loudly and writhed.

"Brother!" said the cheetah, jumping off him and being now on his side. "Brother, what's wrong?" she asked, afraid.

"The wounds" commented Rafiki, his eyes glued to the bleeding injuries.

"Wasn't he feeling…?" tried to ask Sarabi, trying to recover her senses.

The male cheetah, however, didn't give her a break: "Queen Sarabi…" he muttered. Slowly, he got up. "Your majesty…" he kept saying, now walking towards her. He coughed, spitting out some blood.

"Brother, please, lie down!" begged Izulu, watching her brother's blood in horror.

Kwenja ignored her, his eyes were focus on the Queen: "I… I'm sorry… I didn't…" he tried to say.

"It's not…" said Sarabi, wanting to go backwards, but for some reason, she didn't move.

"You have… to warn King Mufasa…" muttered the cheetah. He was now in front of her, but he kept walking. "I couldn't control my moves…" he said, this time more to himself than to anyone else.

"Kwenja…" said Sarabi under her breath. She had him right in front of her. His dark eyes were beginning to fade.

"You have to warn your mate…" he repeated. And then, with no more strengths, he let himself fall on Sarabi. "He is coming. He is coming…" he began to whisper.

"Who is coming?" asked the Queen, tensed at the feeling of Kwenja's blood on her chest again. This time, it was cooler.

"He is coming…" muttered the cheetah, sliding down.

" _Who_?" asked the Queen, with a frown.

But she didn't receive an answer. Kwenja's body fell to the ground, and his blood stained her pelt and now the grass below them. Sarabi looked at the corpse, and felt her body shaking. Rafiki didn't move, and that was a bad sign. The baboon just bowed his head and held his crook more firmly. The silence that was created was destroyed by Izulu's broken scream.

* * *

There were more than ten, more than fifteen, more than twenty… Mufasa had lost count. There were too many. Maybe a whole pack of forty wild dogs in front of him. Even if they were banished from his kingdom long ago, he still knew a few things about them. They used to hunt in groups big animals, they were one when they got together; he was a lion, but just one. An injured and sick one. _Curse the time I decided to come here on my own_ , the King thought, infuriated.

"Well, it seems that we turned the tables here" commented Uhari, with an annoying laugh at the end.

Mufasa couldn't do much more than growl to him. He was feeling beyond angry. He was trapped. His two shoulders were damaged and doubted he would be standing for too long. Even if he tried to fight, they were outnumbered.

"Uhari, what is the meaning of this?" Batili inquired, baring his teeth.

"This is called planning" answered the scarred wild dog with sarcasm. "I don't blame you if you don't know what it is…"

Batili growled, angry: "You prepared this at my backs?"

"It was clear you weren't going to do it… I do the dirty job for you, and this is how you thank me?" asked Uhari. He pretended to be offended, but everybody could see how much fun he was having with the scene.

" _I_ am the alpha in this pack, Uhari. It's _me_ who orders the pack" he reminded him, burning with anger.

Mufasa saw the two sisters were watching the fight; the older one with a frown that not only showed annoyance but also repugnance; the younger one, on her behalf, was still shaking for the threaten he had said before. He also threw a rapid glare to the amount of wild dogs that were in front of him, more than prepared to leap on him. He felt a sharp pain in his wounds and knew that was a sign that he wouldn't be able to stand for too long. He would have to get out of there. He could stand the thought of dying to protect his pride, but if he died tonight he wouldn't be able to alert his subjects of what would happen to them.

Taking advantage of the heated arguing, Mufasa scrutinised the gorge. The walls never seemed so high to him. He wasn't bad at climbing, but he wasn't the best either. His big weight helped him to command the rest of animals, but it also gave him a great lack of agility and speed when it was needed. Besides, he doubted he would be able to climb too much with his two shoulders ripped out. He wouldn't be fast enough if he decided to run. And, to be honest, that idea made him angry. _I shouldn't be running away from outcasts_ he thought, frowning.

"Acting at the backs of the alpha is a crime!" Batili's voice screamed, fury clear in each syllable. "In times of my father, no one dared to even think of this kind of impertinence!"

"Your father was a fool who thought life was about to bow the head and be silent about injustices" said Uhari. It was the first time Mufasa saw him so serious.

It was also the first time Batili showed his true nature: the wild one, the one that gave his species its name. The alpha didn't lose time and pinned the rebel dog to the ground, his claws buried in his skin.

"Don't you dare to talk about my father in such a disrespectful manner" he growled.

Uhari just smiled: "Aah, now we start to show our true _nature_!"

He accompanied that last word with a swipe that took Batili off him. Both Nyeti and Ujinga gasped, worried, and the mate of the the alpha dedicated Uhari another glare full of hatred.

"Now that finally your wild spirit has erupted, you can be useful!"

Mufasa then shared the same look Nyeti carried. He also get very sensitive when someone dared to talk about his father. He didn't have time to be surprised for feeling empathy towards an outcast. As soon as Uhari finished his sentence, he felt an amount of sharp claws and teeth on his pelt. Some even succeeded in tearing his skin. He roared, at first because of pain, and in the end due to rage. He tried to ignore the pain and stinging he was feeling, and focus on eliminate as many painted wolves as he could.

* * *

Scar didn't understand why he ran where he heard his brother's roar. He thought it was pure curiosity. Anyway, it had passed a few years since he heard that kind of roar coming from his brother. In fact, he thought he never did. Mufasa's roars usually were to call the pride for a reunion, to let see he was enraged, to chase hyenas away… But this one was different. It was a mix of fury, helplessness and offense.

None of the hyenas talked until they were at the verge of the gorge. Scar looked down, seeing easily his brother being trapped by a big number of wild dogs. Some hyenas gasped, not expecting to see the a whole pack. Scar didn't, but when he thought that if the thing was about his brother and not hunting, it had a lot of sense. Mufasa had been playing with fire a lot of times, following the foolish and unfair laws of Ahadi; and now he was paying the consequences of the prejudice Ahadi had set in his mind since he was a cub. Maybe it wasn't very fair to make the sons of the deceased ones pay the price for their father's crimes, but right then, Scar didn't feel it that way. Mufasa had had a lot of times to reconsider; he was known for being just and good, but he was it only with the ones he wanted to be. And Scar wasn't surprised finally he was going to pay.

A growl made him come back to the real world. He and the hyena clan saw how two wild dogs fight against each other, being even violent towards each other. And then, as Scar predicted, the rest of the pack leapt on the King. He heard Mufasa roaring for rage and pain. It wasn't easy to see how hurt he really was, but fortunately, Scar had inherited the sharped eyes of his mother. He could see a few red marks, and his pink skin raw. It made him wrinkle his snout.

"What a madness in less than a minute!" commented one hyena.

"It seems the mighty King isn't that mighty in the end" said Fisi, a smile appeared on his face.

For some reason, seeing the pleasure the scene gave to the hyena made him angry. He thought it was because he hated him, maybe more than his own brother, but there was something more. Something he didn't want to pay too much attention.

"Well, you were right, they are doing the dirty job for us" Shenzi muttered in his ear.

She didn't seem happy. True, she hated Mufasa, but now his hatred towards wild dogs was bigger because of what they had done to her cousin. Scar, surprisingly, wasn't enjoying the scene. He knew his brother's dead wasn't important. He was going to get rid of him anyway. His mind was starting to be filled with ideas. He had the gift of thinking fast, even in stressful situations, and so, his head was plotting a new plan, a new way to get the throne and give the hyenas what they deserved. What they _both_ always deserved.

If Mufasa died – what was beginning to be more real than an illusion, seeing how his brother was starting to barely stand – then Sarabi would be the regent queen until Simba would be an adult. He would only have to get rid of the brat – which would be easy and the pride would be so blind by their hatred and thirst of revenge that no one would suspect on him – and then Sarabi would lose all her rights. Because there had to be a male. If the King died while his son was a cub, his mate would take care of everything; but if there was no more heirs, the Queen became invisible. He never liked that stupid law so much…

A loudly thump and laugh made him look at the fight again. As he thought, Mufasa couldn't fight against so many rivals all alone and in his state. He didn't forget his strange behaviour that morning. He almost vomit and was clearly dizzy. _The fool was sick and he came here in the middle of the night all by himself…_ he thought, pressing his lips. He was used to Mufasa's stupid decisions, but this time he wasn't enjoying his slip-up. And he was starting to feel enraged with himself for that.

"Oh, it's nice to be first in line to see this memorable scene!" said Fisi with a laugh.

"Silence, you pea brain!" complained Shenzi in a low voice.

But Fisi's laugh wasn't the one which filled the air; Uhari's did: "What a shame your beloved subjects are not here to see you like the pathetic big cat you are!" he said, too delightful for the King's pleasure. "Long live King Mufasa!"

Scar felt the hyenas getting closer to get a better look. He didn't move, just watched the wild dog raising one paw, and then, unexpectedly, Mufasa's mighty roar resounded, startling the witnesses. With an outburst, Mufasa was able to throw the wild dogs who were pinning him to the ground and sent Uhari away by one swipe. The King didn't wait to see if he had killed them or not, and ran a few metres, leaping on the wall that was the less steady and safe of them all.

"What is he doing?" asked Shenzi, frowning and narrowing her eyes.

Scar made the same question, but in his head, as he was used to. It seemed like another silly choice, but not even Mufasa was that stupid. Taking a deeper look, he saw the rocks were falling as he climbed. The wild dogs were trying to follow him, but were more concentrated in not being squashed.

"He knows is the only way he is not going to be followed" explained the dark lion.

"It's also the only way to fall and break your nut" said Fisi, with a wee smile at that image.

Scar's eyes were glued to his brother's form. Mufasa wasn't the best climber, he knew the King was aware of that even if he never admitted – as he never admitted any of his many, many flaws… - and it would be more complicated to reach the top. But he was doing it as right as it was expected. Then, an idea ploughed through his mind.

"Shenzi, lead the others down and chased those wild dogs away" he ordered, passing her by.

" _What_?" she asked, blinking perplex.

"I'm going to where my brother is; you, meanwhile, chased them away" he informed, looking at her with so much calm and seriousness she felt her blood boiling.

"Are you out of your mind? I thought…" she tried to complain.

"Do as I say" interrupted Scar, baring a bit his teeth. "Do you trust me or not?"

Shenzi was silent for a moment. She looked at him up and down. Finally, she said: "I do"

"Then, do what I've told you. I've explained it to you later" he said, running to where his brother was still climbing.

 _Better have a good reason to make me do this for that flaky_ she thought, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

* * *

Mufasa was hurt, was tired, and the yearn of closing his eyes and forget about the world around him. But he couldn't. He had to make a last effort. He was almost there. His limbs were hurting, his shoulders sent him a stabbing pain which was becoming less bearable.

He made sure he hit and pushed the rocks below him. Trying to climb one of the walls was dangerous, especially in the middle of the rain and in his state, but he saw that was the only option he had to keep the distance between the wild dogs and him and would give him enough time to go to Pride Rock and alert everybody. He couldn't give up now.

At his backs, he heard the yelps of a few, and he was glad to know some of them were already hurt – or dead – and prayed that maybe they would take care of their pack and forget about him for awhile. But the growls that were also heard let him know that wasn't the case. _And then, we lions are known for being proud and selfish…_ he thought, making his anger grow a bit more.

With a resounding sigh, he stopped, trying to gather enough strengths to reach the top once and for all. His muscles never hurt so much as today, he could feel the blood still running from different parts of his body, and was even aware of his own fever without having to put a paw on his forehead. His cheeks were burning and a headache made difficult for him to focus. He could barely hear the growls anymore, but he could distinguish a series of laughter that, even in his febrile state, could recognise.

 _Hyenas!_ he thought, irritated. _Not hyenas now!_ He took that as a signal. Inhaling and exhaling a few times, he bent his hind legs and hurled himself to the top. Luckily, he fell on his four legs, and he heard a few pebbles and rocks running down the climb. Suddenly, the growls, laughter and yelps became a distant sound, and he didn't know if it was real or had something to do with the fact that he was starting to see all around him blurred. Maybe hurling wasn't a good idea…

He shook his head and tried to focus. He had to reach the kingdom. Once he was at the kingdom, he would rest. When he began to walk, he staggered. He felt cold and hot at the same time, and his whole body was aching. Only four steps were enough to make him fall to the ground with a thump. He gritted his teeth. The fresh wounds sent a stinging pain across his whole body.

His eyelids felt heavy, but he refused to close his eyes. He couldn't get up, though. Suddenly, a blurry form was in front of him. It was dark and slim. He frowned, thinking he hadn't succeed in his plan of getting rid of the wild dogs as he thought, but then, two emerald eyes caught his attention. The whole world stopped right then. Between gasps, he was able to just say one word.

"Mother?"

And then everything went black.

* * *

Scar arrived just in time to see his brother falling to the ground. He didn't rush too much, and got closer to him slowly. Now, being in front of him, he was able to have a better look of his wounds. His two shoulders were teared, his mane was a total mess and there was less amount of red brownish hair as well. He thought they may have stripping off in an attempt to reach to his throat. His pelt was also colouring in crimson in some parts of his side. And, finally, Mufasa's rapid breaths broke the silence.

"Mother?" he heard him say, and Scar tensed.

Wrath appeared in his chest, and for a moment, he thought about abandoning him. But he had to be cold. If he wanted things to go right, he would have to put the mask. He saw his brother had fainted, and he thanked that in his mind. _I won't hear him complaining that much, then_.

"That dog was right; what a pathetic image of the feared Lion King" he commented. A small part of him was happy to see his brother like that. He needed immediate help, he was dependant. "Where is your cockiness now?" he asked to the air. With one paw, he lifted his brother chin, feeling how warm he was. "Let's take you to Rafiki. You won't be able to return this favour if you're dead. I can wait a bit to see you exhale your last breath"

With more agility and strength that was expected for a lion like him, Scar put his brother on his back and walked towards Rafiki's home.

* * *

 **I'm sorry for the delay. This month hasn't been one of my best. I've been ill and relapsing. I'm not sure when the next chapter will come, but at least I wanted to let you know why I've been so absent.**

 **Kellin09: Yeah, that was why I wanted him to not be on his best. Thanks!  
** **Joseph94: Thank you!  
All Hail King Scar: Mufasa is shown as a big-hearted lion, so he didn't want to attack him, but give them the opportunity to leave. Even in the movie he let the hyena trio to leave after they tried to eat his son and Nala! Sometimes I don't agree with him XD. Scar is tricky, indeed. Thank you!  
Fluffy Dream: I love to write him like that, he had to be a bit violent when it's needed! And you'll find out in time =3. Thank you!  
Guest: Thank you!  
Handy Dandy: Yep, Uhari is like a demon, you'll see even his companions are afraid of him of his "strenght". Thank you! I love darkness in stories!  
Cogitor: Already let you know how happy you review made me! Thanks!  
ManBearMan: Today XD**

 ** _Sursum corda_!  
**


	10. An eye for an eye

**Chapter 10:**

" _ **An eye for an eye"**_

The rain was falling with more violence now. Cold as it fell, it wasn't enough to erase the warmness of the King's body. And, of course, his weight wasn't helping at all. Scar had his two eyes glued to the ground, watching as his paws walked forwards. He didn't need to raise his sight, he knew the way back by heart. Even if the scents were beginning to fade due to the rain, it wasn't a real problem. Scar had explored those lands completely when he was still a young cub, curious about the world around him. When Mufasa grew up a few months, he began to receive lessons from Ahadi, of what a King had to do and how he had to act. Scar never was a part of that. All he knew, it was because he was a good observer. But anything else. It still bothered him deeply to remember and admit it.

The good side was that way he was more free to do whatever he wanted. As his mother was as adventurous as him, she never forbade him go exploring, and never feared something bad would happen to him, so he had all the time in the world to spend it with himself. With his photographic memory, he learnt the many ways one had to leave and return. And even if he spent almost six years without putting a paw on the Pridelands he still remembered all he had learnt by himself.

But one thing was exploring a land with youthful emotion, and other, a lot different, was carrying his brother – who weighed the double of him – on his back, being older and with less enthusiasm. There was a moment when he couldn't take it anymore, and his legs failed him. Falling to the ground, he stained his brown-reddish fur and black mane, and he cursed under his breath. He hated to get dirty. Especially without good reason. And, no, helping the hard headed of his brother was not a good reason. If the consequences weren't going to be nice towards him once this were over, Scar would have abandoned his brother where he had found him. But things had changed. He couldn't count on the wild dogs. He had seen them losing all kind of control when the King was in front of them.

He himself had felt those looks.

Even if he was a nobody for the royal family, Mufasa was and will always be his brother. Not for the pride, but for the hyenas he was. No matter what. Ironic. Lions were taught to hate and persecute hyenas because they were disloyal and filthy beasts who had no respect for anything and anybody. _Lies_. The hyenas cared for each other, for the whole clan… They even gave him a place to live where _his own kind_ kicked him out! That was right. That was why he was doing all that. They gave him a home, and he promised to return the favour. And he was going to do it. At all cost.

A moan coming from his brother's mouth made him growl, angry. _At all cost_ … Even if he had to help his pretentious and odious brother. He had to keep in mind why he was doing this, for who. Wild dogs weren't going to listen to him, but Mufasa would once he found out he had helped him save his life, along with the hyenas. _A proper King has to reward the favours, especially when these are about his life_ Scar thought, feeling the strengths coming back to him. Mufasa _adored_ laws; just as his father, and his grandfather, and his… Well, with that it was clear from where that habit of his came from, right? He wouldn't dare to disobey a law created by his grandfather Mohatu. He had a special thing with those.

He got up slowly, his legs shaking. It would take a while to arrive the baobab. Looking behind his back, he saw Mufasa's head was resting on his neck, his big and golden arms on his shoulders, preventing him for falling, and his hind legs brushing against the wet ground and transforming the pretty gold tone of his paws into a mix up of yellow and brown. He couldn't watch his face, but he guessed he may have both eyes shut in an expression of fatigue and pain. His gasps, hitting the back of the dark lion's head, made him think so. He sighed, and shook a bit his head, in an useless attempt to dry his mane. _How I hate to stain and wet myself!_ he thought, upset. And he kept walking.

* * *

"They escaped! Those lucky bastards!"

Shenzi was beyond enraged. She was – literally – red of fury. She had hit countless pebbles with her paw due to wrath. She was about to catch a wild dog when the whole pack decided to change the direction and run going through a thick tunnel that, as soon as it became full of savage canines and felines, fell down. It was common in the gorge to see a landslide, but, dammit, did it have to happen now?!

"Come on, Shenzi, there's nothing more we can do" tried to comfort her one of the male hyenas who was raised with her.

"I know that! That is why I'm like this!" she screamed, making him bow his head.

Since cubhood, they all feared Shenzi and her attacks of ire. Her mother was like that, and that was why sometimes they didn't see the difference between the two matriarchs.

"Now, what am I going to say to my brothers?" she kept complaining, but this time her voice sounded fragile, as if it was about to break. It was because that thought made her feel so small… "And my cousin? They have attacked her, her blood is in their paws, and I couldn't make one of them shed one drop of blood!"

"Don't be too harsh on yourself" said another male.

"Yes, we will catch them another time" said a female, with a grin. "You heard Scar; they're getting a bit closer as the nights pass by"

"Puf… _Scar_ " Fisi broke the positivity his companions had created. "Should we still trust him after making us chase down those thieves meanwhile he ran to help his little brother?" he asked with a mocking tone.

Shenzi growled, and didn't lose time in being face to face with him: "Watch your tongue, Fisi" she warned.

"Pff" the hyena rolled his eyes. "You know I'm speaking the truth"

"The only thing I always hear getting out your mouth are nonsenses!" said Shenzi, turning her back on him.

This time, it was Fisi's turn to growl: "You're blind, Shenzi. You can't see what is obvious"

"And what is that, if you don't mind telling?" she inquired, turning her head. She felt the careful looks of her clan. She hated being interrogated, more if it was in front of her family.

"Bah! I know you see it as well as I did… As we all did!" said the hyena, raising his voice as his answer went by. "He sees his brother about to be killed once and for all, and what does he do? Run to his rescue! And makes us go after the wild dogs… Didn't he tell you he wanted to come to a deal with them?"

"Scar _never_ does something without thinking the consequences. If he did it, he did it for a reason"

"Oh, I can see the reason behind his actions… But can you?"

"What does that mean, Fisi?"

"He is a _lion_ , he will always turn to his kind. It was a matter of time he ended coming back to his dear brother…"

"His _dear_ brother betrayed his trust and never cared about him!" Shenzi interrupted the male. Her voice was so loud some of her clan bowed their heads, afraid some predator would see them there and alert the pridelanders. "His kind turned their back on him. Scar maybe is a lion, but he is not like those arrogant piece of brainless walking muscles!"

Fisi watched her carefully, up and down: "Alright" he said, with a calm tone of voice. "I see you are the type of animal who only believe it when you see it. It doesn't matter, I've got patience" he passed the Matriarch by, and she dedicated him a glare full of fury.

"You're right, I believe in what I see. That is why I trust him. More than others" she said, coldly. "You're the one who is blind. You're blind with hatred!" she reproached him.

Fisi stopped and looked at her with the corner of his eye: "Hum… Hatred keeps me alert; but love makes you act like a fool, instead of a proper Matriarch"

"You insolent son of a…!"

Shenzi, rose one paw, more than prepared to scratch the hyena's face, adding one more wound to the collection he brought on his body, but one hyena, a female, one of the youngest, came running.

"Shenzi, Shenzi!" she called, and stopped by her leader's side. "Shenzi, lady…" she tried to recover her breath. "I found something interesting over there! Come!" she informed, running towards the place.

The clan didn't doubt in following her. Fisi and Shenzi were the only one who didn't move right away.

"You were lucky" she hissed, annoyed, and ran.

"You are not that much, though" he muttered, and followed the crowd.

The young female stopped just where they started to chase the wild dogs. Where Mufasa climbed to save his life, where he made rocks and pebbles fall. That action made bigger ones fell, and right below one big rock, there was the small and hurt body of a wild dog. Its dark blue eyes were wide open, watching in all directions. One of her hid legs were trapped. And that made Shenzi's anger fade away.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" she asked rhetorically. A grin full of sharp teeth appeared. "Guess life is not that unfair after all, is it? Oh, well, maybe that depends on the side we like to see this…" she commented, laughing out loud. She reached one paw to lift the wild dog's head, but she, baring her teeth, tried to bit her. She was fast enough to dodge the bite. "As wild as your name indicates, right, little one?" she mocked.

"My name is Ujinga" the wild dog screamed, offended. "I am the younger sister of the female leader of my pack"

"Oh, who's sister?" asked Shenzi, and then she blurted out a laugh.

Ujinga growled: "Let me go! I demand you to let me go!" she screamed. That made more laughter sound around her. "Stop laughing, you deceiving creatures!"

When she ended that sentence, she felt her head falling to the ground, being pinned down by one paw. The Matriarch wasn't laughing anymore, and so the clan stopped it as well. Now, Shenzi had her head well held under her paw, and a serious expression made her more terrifying than Ujinga ever thought a hyena could be.

"Well, I think even if you will not be enough to erase my thirst of blood, you, in fact, could be effective to quench it for the moment" she commented, looking at her as a true predator watched its prey. "Besides, your kind almost took my cousin away from me; I think taking the sister's leader away is more than just" she concluded, an evil grin coming back to her face.

"Your cousin?" Ujinga said under her breath, confused. "Neither my sister or I had something to do with…"

But the wild dog wasn't given the chance of ending the sentence. Shenzi, as soon as she heard her voice, raised her paw and knocked her out with the ground and her own strength. Looking at the unconscious wild dog with repugnance and impassability, she said:

"I didn't give you permission to talk"

* * *

Scar fell to the ground for the second time. This time, he gasped as his brother. It seemed as if he was walking backwards instead of forwards. The baobab couldn't be that far, could be? He lowed his head. _I don't know how much it will take me, but I know I can't take it anymore with this weather…_ he complained. Rain was falling more violent than before, and as the seconds ran, it was starting to become worse.

He raised his head, and finally luck was kind to him: a little cave was near them. He would take both of them there, and wait until the rain was over. He didn't have another chance. Breathing in and out a few times, he got up and advanced till the entrance of the den. It was almost as comfortable as his own, but not as enormous as Pride Rock.

"Guess your Highness will have to resign himself" he said, taking his brother off his back and lying him on the ground. "It isn't a giant palace as the one you have back at home, but life is not made for well-of beings…"

He kept talking as if Mufasa were hearing him. The only response he received was the rapid gasps of his brother. Scar wrinkled his nose and put a paw on his brother's forehead. Saying he was warm wasn't enough to describe the sensation…

"That fever of yours is going to be a hell" he commented, poring over him. "For you, of course, not for me" he added, turning his back and taking a seat. "It's going to take a bit until this rain dies down. But I suppose is nothing for the mighty King, right? Oh, what am I doing? Talking alone…" he dedicated the bigger lion a rapid glare. "You're driving me crazy" he muttered.

He watched his brother carefully. Lying on his right side, Mufasa's belly was going up and down quickly as he began to gasp and moan more. His eyebrows were frown and his mouth was shut in pressed lips. Suddenly, his body began to shake. Scar looked at him trembling a bit before getting up, finally, and sat beside him. He put his paw on his forehead once again, and was surprised to see it felt warmer.

"I can't recall the last time you were this ill, Mufasa" he commented, seeing how much his brother was shaking despite his body felt like fire in the outside.

Scar's green eyes began to scrutinise the King's entire body. His two shoulders were more red than yellow by then, and the rest of wounds were starting to imitate them. The dark lion growled. He knew the fever wasn't the problem… or the only problem. Blood loss would start to be a pain in his neck as well if he didn't do anything soon. _He better return me this big favour_ thought the older lion with disgust. He knew what had to be done, but he didn't like it one bit.

Slowly, he lowered his head. He could feel the rapid and unstable breaths against his black mane. Without thinking too much, Scar began to lick the bigger lion's wounds. The salty and ferrous taste of blood reigned in his mouth. _Clean it fast_ , he thought, licking quicker. _You clean them, and then put a bit of dirt in them._ It was something Rafiki taught him long ago and was useful for him and also for Ukaidi the last time he had done it. He tried to focus his attention in those memories, when he went to visit Rafiki almost all the days when he just arrived to the kingdom. It was the only memories of the kingdom that didn't enrage him.

However, he didn't know how and when, his mind began to get away from those peaceful moments, and began to drift to the last thing he wanted to think about. Scar thought it was because his brother's scent was now filling his nostrils and he also had a lot of memories of that smell. Mufasa smelt like fresh grass, like pure water of rain; even his scent was perfection and welcoming. He hated it. He hated the sensation of warmness his brother possessed in every inch of his body…

And yet…

" _Come on, Muffy! It's passed five minutes already!" complained the small dark cub._

 _The golden cub just kept making himself comfortable against the slim body of his brother._

" _Come on, Taka, just five more…" he mumbled, burying his snout in his brother's red brownish pelt._

" _That's what you said ten minutes ago" emphasized the older, rolling his green eyes._

 _A tender and sweet laugh was heard from behind: "Taka, dear, your brother is not feeling well, let him rest as much as he wants" their mother, Uru, said, as she entered the den. Her snout and paws were stained in red due to the hunting, and her emeralds eyes were shining with joy. She was happy each time her sons played and spent time together._

" _But, Mum, he thinks I'm his personal cushion!" complained the dark cub. Then, he muttered: "Besides, he fell ill because he didn't want to listen to me and come back home when he wanted, and not when I warned him because rain was about to fall"_

 _Uru just smiled and shook her head: "Oh, dear… I know, Taka. But now there's nothing more we can do that take care of him. Next time he will do it right, I can assure you"_

" _If you say so…" said Taka, giving in. And then, he felt his brother curling up next to him._

Scar shook his head with vehemence. _Get out of my head!_ he complained. He couldn't allow himself to be invaded by those memories. They were good moments of his life, but they were over, his brother and him weren't those lions anymore. And there was no chance for them to be that again.

A series of gasps and moans helped him to return to the real world. The first thing he saw was that the rain had stopped, but the grey clouds, still gathering in the sky, made him know it was a matter of time it would start any time. Then, a loudly thump made him turn his head.

"Mufasa?"

Exactly. His brother was on the ground, but not sleeping anymore. A new series of moans escaped his lips while he tried to get up; his muscles were tensed, and his body was shaking for the effort, but still Mufasa was able – after another failure – to stand up. His eyes were closed tightly and his teeth were bared, in an attempt to silence his complaints. Scar decided to wait until he notice him, but his brother didn't lift his head. Instead of that, he began to walk, focus his vision on his golden paws, which were wobbling more than walking.

"Mufasa" the dark lion called, taking one step forwards.

If the mentioned one heard him or ignored him, he didn't know. The King kept going, trying his best not to fall, but Scar saw that all his brother wanted was to lie down again. He passed him by, without dedicating him a look. That wasn't surprising, but the fact that this time Mufasa seemed to not know he was there, at his side, was. Frowning, Scar felt the need of leaving him walk back home alone. That memory really infuriated him, and the last thing he wanted was to be near his brother or even carrying him again. But a plan had to be done. Taking in some air, Scar trotted to the entrance of the cave, where his brother was standing. The King's features were wrinkled, and the word pain could be easily read. Looking closer, Scar could see some of the wounds started to bleed again. _All the effort for nothing…_ he thought, annoyed.

"Mufasa" he tried one more time. "Mufasa, lie down" he ordered. Seeing his brother didn't even raise his ears, he thought maybe he didn't know where he was. Maybe he was even delirious. His fever made that an acceptable conclusion. "Mufasa, can you hear me at all?" he asked, deciding to get a bit closer. "Lie down, I have no time for…" he talked again, this time more irritated. But he was interrupted when he saw his brother falling. More for instinct than for anything else, he supported him. "No time for childishness" he finished.

"I've got to go to Pride Rock" he heard him saying.

"Oh, so you could hear me after all…" he said, pushing the bigger one so they didn't have to touch each other anymore. "I know ignoring me is one of your favourite hobbies, but right now is not the best moment…" he kept talking, finally being able to get separated from his brother. "We're near Rafiki's home. Let him see you and then we can live our separate lives as we like to do" he informed. Mufasa groaned. "And I will recommend you to hurry up, because there is no way I'm going to carry you again or lick your…"

Scar was interrupted again, but this time not by words. He didn't know there could be another way to interrupt him that could annoy him more. He was wrong. Just when he had moved his sight away from his brother, this one brought up on his mane. A heavy silence followed. Mufasa wobbled a few steps forwards, and mumbled something that seemed like an apology, but the dark lion couldn't care less. Inspiring slowly, he could only mutter:

"Yes, you _really_ owe me this one…"

* * *

Rafiki just wanted to go to bed. Rest and then be able to think about everything that happened. Right after Kwenja fell silent for the rest of his life, Izulu began screaming and crying, in a violent phase of denial. Sarabi, giving credit to her known capacity of calmness in extreme situations, was able to calm her down. At least, enough to do the way towards her home. The Queen took care of carrying the deceased cheetah on her back; only Rafiki could sense she was feeling extremely nervous in the inside, but she was managing to conceal it. Like she was supposed to.

They left. But Sarabi dedicated him one of her glares that meant: "You and I will take about this later. I don't care if you want it or not". And the baboon could no more than nod, even if he didn't have enough strengths to talk about that; he doubted he would be able to do it. It was a subject he hated too much… He decided the best he could do by then was sleeping. That way, at least, he could have his strengths renewed.

"Rafiki!"

"This can't be real…" muttered the shaman under his breath.

Did he like to help others? Yes. Did he like his job? Yes. But he also needed some rest from time to time. The animals around him seemed to forget about that little detail too often. And he never said a thing, because… Well, it wasn't his true nature, actually. He was taught to control his emotions, instead of get angry he knew how to handle his temperament. But he was starting to think with so many interruptions and crazy things going around him, that lesson would be easily forgotten. He bit some bullets before turning around and descended. Whatever it was, he maybe would be able to take care of it in no time and then have his needed rest.

"What happened to him?" he asked once his eyes fell on the two figures who had decided to visit him in the middle of the night.

It was strange to see the two lion brothers together, but more shocking was to see the King at the verge of a collapse, with injuries adorning his whole body and a pale face and to see his older sibling with a mane stained and messy, and also woken up in the middle of the night.

"It's a long story" replied the dark lion.

"Just what I needed" said the baboon, now helping Mufasa to climb. _Goodbye, slumber._

* * *

 **Yes, I'm still alive XD.**

 **Sorry for the delay. Just when I recovered from the illness I had to deal with anxiety. It came from nowhere, and it seemed it wanted to stay with me, no matter how hard I tried to get rid of it. These days, I only wrote comedy and things like that to cheer me up, because I also felt down all of a sudden. Lots of bad memories feeling my mind just when I was low, like usual... Frankly, I wasn't in the mood for writing things like this, as you could see, and I decided to let it there until some inspiration came back and I was feeling better. Also, I started to feel all my stories were trash, and I didn't even want to look at them all this time. Yeah, that kinda happens to me lots of times...**

 **The case is if I spend too much time without uploading, do not think is because I abandon the stories, it's just I'm in search for ideas, inspirations, finishing/working on other projects, etc. If I decided to stop with this, I would tell you, so don't worry. Besides, this is not the case, and I hope it will be not. Now, let's answer the patient people who reviewed without being answered (again, if I answered you, I won't remember because I have fish memory XD)**

 **FeatherSunfire: And I love to write them, I like to see them as great friends whose friendship lose strength with the pass of time, as we could see in the movie... A pity. Thank you!**

 **Cogitor: Hum... hum... Maybe you're right, maybe you're not. Expect anything from me, I'm a writer who like to surprise. Thank you! =)**

 **Fluffy Dream: It really broke me to write the scene, but in this remake it will be usual the death of characters, even if they just said one sentence. I'm also a writer who like to make readers suffer... And myself, really I feel bad for Izu. And, yes, Taka's mind never stops! I can only say is always better to be on the part of the powerful ones. Thank you for reading!**

 **Guest: Thanks!**

 **Joseph: You can always talk in Spanish if it's easier for you or want to say something, don't worry about that. Thank you for all your caring, really, it means a lot.**

 **Handy Dandy: At first, I wanted to do a battle between the dogs and the hyenas, but every attempt failed, so I decided to it as it is, just a moment of frustration and coldness between the two species. But don't worry, they will fight. Everyone seem to fight in this story XD. I love your enthusiasm. And the fact that you always help me and give me information. A really interesting person you are, and also very kind! Thanks! =D**

 ** _Sursum corda_!**


	11. Omen

**Chapter 11**

 _ **Omen**_

 _The arid rocks were starting to hurt his claws, which were trying to not lose hold as well as they could. His rear legs never stopped moving, in an attempt to climb a bit more and reach the surface. The sun burnt on his pelt. The dust made his eyes burn and made him cough a few times. Below him, he could hear the growls and attempts of the wild dogs, trying to catch him and sink their teeth in his skin._

 _Mufasa felt a strange sense of déjà vu taking over him. He had lived this before, but differently. There were stochastic images that appeared in his mind and, as fast as they came, vanished. They beat in his forehead, making him lose almost his whole concentration. His other senses began to feel things that were not real right then: blandness, mud, rain… He knew around him the sizzling hot was almost palpable, though._

 _More dust was born in another attempt to reach the top, introducing itself down his throat, and making him cough. That sound was easily quieted when laughter began to be heard below him. Hyenas, just what he needed… He took in some air, and tried again to climb. And then, a stinging pain took over him. His muscles hurt and were tightened; his paws hurt as he had run too fast and too much before; an iron taste filled his mouth and nostrils. Not even when he had eaten a recent prey he had felt that unpleasant smell and taste._

 _Something appeared above him at the same time the noise of heavy and agitated hooves hitting the ground invaded his ears. The growls and laughter were still there, echoing in the back of his mind. It was about to drive him crazy! For pure exasperation, he looked up. He had expected to see a hyena or a wild dog… Instead, there was his brother. Scar didn't seem affected by the fact that he was hanging on a cliff, but Mufasa didn't pay too much attention; he was used to his coldness by then._

" _Scar! Bro…!" he slipped a bit, and held himself with the last strengths he had left. "Brother! Help me!"_

 _Mufasa didn't mind if he sounded too desperate. When your life is in danger, you don't doubt about screaming for help. To anyone. He was lucky that this time it was his brother, and not someone else._

 _Seconds passed. For him, it felt like hours. He looked up again, and this time his soul froze when he saw Scar had his two emeralds, apathetic and cold, on the top of him. It was like he was seeing a piece of rock drying after a storm, not his own brother about to fall to his death. He hoped it was only his way to express shock…_

 _Finally, a movement. Scar stabbed his claws in his paws. And Mufasa roared, both from shock and pain. All the noises, his five senses died. Scar gained his whole attention, especially when he got closer to him. Face to face, his vision clearer than ever. Not only he could see the surface, but what was beneath. Scar's face, at first, was serious, almost disgusted, as if he was seeing a despicable and filthy rat; then, it become worse: he smiled. Not only with satisfaction, but also with pure happiness. He wanted this to happen, he was glad to see him at his worse, he was rejoicing with the thought of his imminent death. A shadow, so dark, so dense, so cold covered his brother's emeralds, which used to be as brilliant as their mother's._

 _Mufasa tried to convince himself this wasn't happening, that he was imagining the image in front of him. He really wanted to believe it was other of his hallucinations, of his flashbacks. Those which were starting to like too much attacking him when he lowered his guard. His brother got a bit closer, his grip became more painful, and, if with that he hadn't have enough evidences, he saw Scar's face hardening, he heard what would be the last thing he would hear from him with so venom and hatred, it was even more painful to finally know this was happening and it was real._

" _Long live the King"_

 _A small sign of how betrayed he felt, how hurt, how… everything! He wanted to scream at him, to demand him explanations for his treason, to obligate him to confess what was he going to do about Sarabi and Simba once he wasn't there anymore. But, there was a question that he wanted to scream the most:_ _ **why**_ _. Why this, why him…_ _ **How?**_ _How could this end like that?_

 _He wanted to scream all that, even when he felt himself being thrown by Scar, when he felt falling backwards, when he felt himself moving his paws in a useless attempt to grab something at last second that could save him or, at least, would make the fall not mortal. Nothing of that happened. He kept falling. Only a scream in a roar he was able to do. Only that. He hoped Scar would pay him enough attention to hear his unspoken questions and feeling of betrayal._

 _Then, he crashed…_

…and an exhalation left his mouth. Gasps followed it. The colours around him were blurred, and slowly, began to form shapes, things he knew. Leaves, wood, branches… The sensations visited him, then. Tiredness, exaltation, shattering, need of oxygen; his senses also woke up, making him feel the cold leaves of the cold nest he was resting on, the cold wind, the cold air going down his throat in his gasps… He felt so hot, sofocated even, while everything around felt so… cold… _As cold as his brother's glare_.

He growled, and lowered his head. _Breathe. In and out. In… Out… In… It was just a dream, just a dream. You're alive, you're in your kingdom…_ he said to himself. He could calm himself, still he wasn't able to feel the peace of the night. He looked around him. This had to be Rafiki's tree. He knew it too well, he had visited it too many times. Still, he knew there had to be places he hadn't seen about it yet.

Silencing his complaints, he got up and took a look at himself. His wounds were covered by large leaves, tied and stuck to his pelt. He felt them sticky and they hurt, but at least he could move. He felt like walking with daggers through his body, but he could walk. He was perfectly fine to go back to the kingdom and alert the pride.

"And, where do you think _you_ are going?"

Or not… A few wounds, a beating headache, a shattering feeling all over his body… Nothing for him. Now, Rafiki in the middle of his way? Well, that was another level. With elegance and agility, the shaman of his kingdom descended from the higher branches – has he been there all the time? He had no idea, and he flinched at that unknowledge – and fell in front of him.

Rafiki naturally bore a smile on his face, it made you feel warm and comfortable; he was the personification of friendship, doing justice to his name. Now, there was not a shadow of any of that. For the first time since he had known him, Mufasa saw the shaman dedicating him a saddened and serious expression. It was a signal. A signal that screamed: 'Hey, something really, really bad has happened or is about to happen!'. Mufasa really had to put a lot of effort for not sigh in his face with all the frustration he was feeling.

At first, he waited for him to say something. Anything. Even the worst news ever. He could handle it. He wasn't the King for nothing. Just when he saw the frown in the monkey's face and the silence that persisted, Mufasa remembered he was asked a question. He didn't think he would have to answer it. Normally, Rafiki wouldn't be that finicky. Whatever news he must be hiding from him, they would be bad if he had come to this extreme…

"I was heading to Pride Rock. There is something the pride needs to know" he explained as quick as he could. He tried to move forwards, but the shaman didn't move an inch. And he was starting to be more worried about his acting.

"Unless you want to show yourself collapsing in front of everyone, I doubt you want to go there" the tone was severe, hard as a rock and sharp as one of his claws; it felt so foreign in Rafiki's voice. So… _wrong_. "Your brother took you here. You were a mess. He explained wild dogs cornered you and that you've been feeling bad all yesterday…"

And then, Mufasa knew what kind of tone that was. The tone of a disappointed yet relieved parent whose cub had gotten into trouble but now was safe and sound. A part of him wanted to feel offended, yet the side which was feeling pleased won. He hadn't heard that kind of parental tone from no one since he was a cub. Only his mother dedicated it to him sometimes, the few times they could spend together. His father, more rough and insensitive, never talked to him in such a manner. Even his brother, when they were both little had talked to him like that, as an older brother should. These days it was strange – nearing impossible – to hear him talking to him like that. Which made the confession that Rafiki knew all that, even how bad he was feeling for a whole day, because Scar had told him more comforting; his brother knew he wasn't fine, and saved his life. _And you exiled him_ , a maleficent voice said in his head. _Shut up, this is not the appropriate moment._

Seeing he wasn't going to say anything, Rafiki kept going: "He had gone to fetch some water. Scar. You had a really an annoying fever…"

"You can say that again…" was all the King could say.

Rafiki's features seemed to soften at the sound of his voice: "Come on, Mufasa, lie down. Whatever you have to tell the pride, I'm sure it can wait until you're feeling better"

Mufasa shook his head: "No. It is important. _Extremely_ important" he emphasised. "My brother told you about the wild dogs. They are not going to stop just here. They will go further. I would never forgive myself if…"

A sudden sensation of fatigue took over him. Mufasa didn't have enough time to think "not again" before he felt himself falling. He was rapid enough to recover his senses in order to not hit the ground. Rafiki, however, was already at his side, supporting him.

"I am not called 'shaman' for nothing" said the baboon with a tiny smile. It was so fake and it showed so much tiredness, that Mufasa didn't have enough guts to contradict him again.

A few minutes after, in which none of them talked again (another strange thing coming from Rafiki, this was getting more worrisome at each minute…) Scar came back. In his mouth, a fruit full of water. He put it on the ground. Mufasa hadn't felt how thirsty he really was until he saw the clear and crystalline water in front of him. He sat on his belly and began to drink. His brother had his two emeralds on him, and a rapid flashback of his dream almost spoilt that peaceful moment.

"I see you could hold him here" it wasn't dedicated to him, Mufasa knew that without having to look at Scar.

"It cost a lot of patience, but it worked like a charm in the end" the shaman said, with a hoarse laugh.

"Maybe because of that he has that bitter expression on his face" commented the dark lion again.

Mufasa frowned at his remark at the same time he had finished drinking. For the moment, it seemed his brother wasn't annoyed or angry. Good sign… Or false sensation of hope? Only time could tell. The important thing was that he was there. Disobeying laws was Scar's hobby, but everybody, even him, knew an exile was very important. If Scar was there was because he had lost the small respect he felt for him as a King or he had known it was the fever along with exasperation talking and not him. Mufasa prayed it was the second one. _Please, let it be the second one…_

"How are you feeling?" this time, the question was for him. Appropriate to the situation as it was, it was still shocking to hear that from him. "I can't remember the last time I see you like that"

"It was only a bit of fever. I'm fine already" he looked at Rafiki with the corner of his eye. Rafiki caught the indirect, yet he didn't seem he was going to let him go.

"A bit of fever? That is not what I saw. My mane has a particular aroma telling another story…"

There was a brief image that appeared on Mufasa's mind. He felt his cheeks burning. "Oh, that happened for real?"

"I fear it did"

"I'm sorry"

"It is not the first time you bring up on me. But I hope it is the last time"

Mufasa couldn't contain a laugh. But he tried to keep being serious: "No. I'm sorry for… what I said earlier"

The fact that his brother was joking with a not very sarcastic and hurtful humour was a good sign; that he was there was a good sign; that he was the responsible that _he was still there_ was a very good sign. And Mufasa didn't know if they were good for real or just pretended. Scar was very sensitive, even if he now tried to act a cold and hard rock in the outside. Words affected him, and he found difficult to forget them. Mufasa had done a lot of things wrong already, he didn't want to add one more to the black list his brother had him for sure. Apologising sounded fine right then.

"And I'm grateful for your help"

Thanking him sounded right as well.

Rafiki eyed them both. The shaman didn't know what he was talking about, but he didn't mind. His whole attention was on his brother. That cold glare, that hatred, that darkness… Was it all real or was a warning? Was his dreams just dreams or something alerting him that something had to change? He made a mental note he hoped to remember, about to ask Rafiki about his dreams, if those images had some kind of meaning. He had dreamt about a stampede twice. Mufasa never believed in coincidences.

"Mufasa?" a female voice said.

It broke the silence, the tension and the seriousness. Also, the chance for his brother to answer, to let him know if he was forgiven. Mufasa would have cursed if the voice hadn't belonged to Sarabi.

The lioness didn't give him time to turn his head towards her; she was already on the top of him, nuzzling him, kissing him, breathing with relief in his mane, inspiring his scent, as if she was afraid of losing him. Did Sarabi know what happened to him?

"I thought… No one had seen you and I… Oh, I was so worried! I woke up and you weren't… What happened to you? Why are you covered in bandages?"

No. She didn't know. And she was also at the verge of a panic attack.

"Sarabi, I'm alright. Calm down…" he said with a tender tone. He hated to see her so agitated. "I went to take a walk at the gorge, and there, a pack of wild dogs attacked me. But I'm fine, there's no need to worry. We just have to alert the pride, and arranging a meeting with the committee…"

He was starting to ramble, and he knew it. A bad habit he had since he was little, and it became worse and stronger with the years. In a sense, it calmed him down, knowing he had everything planned, and so, in control. For the others, it was annoying most of the times, but he knew they never complained due to who he was. This time he could stop in time when he saw how tensed Sarabi had become. The beautiful ruby on her eyes clouded. He also felt Rafiki pressing his lips. He knew something was going really wrong…

"What happens?" he asked, getting up.

"No, dear, do not get up…" said Sarabi under her breath.

"What happens?" he asked again, his voice more potent, deeper. He saw his brother eyeing his sister-in-law, a bit curious.

Sarabi took her time to answer. Another bad signal. She never thought too much about telling him something unless it were bad news. "Kwenja is dead"

"How to worsen an already horrible day volume II". Sarabi was starting to perfectionate her technique. Scar eyes shone with a mix of feelings he wasn't able to distinguish. Was he affected, was he angry, was he worried? He didn't know. Mufasa knew he was feeling like a bomb about to explode. How many things would go wrong this week?

"We will have to inform his sister and friends when the committee…"

"His sister knows" Sarabi interrupted. "She saw him die. We all did" she pointed Rafiki with her eyes. "He tried to tell me something, but he died before he had the chance"

Her eyes went down, to her chest. It was then when Mufasa saw the red shades in Sarabi's pelt. Blood. Shed a time ago, tried to be clean uselessly. Sarabi maybe was too nervous, too in shock to do it properly. He would help her after he had all the details.

"How did it happen? I thought Rafiki told us he only needed rest" he looked at the shaman. He didn't want to make him feel guilty; Rafiki could be wrong, but they were talking about a life.

Rafiki sighed and shook his head: "I would want to talk about this when you're recovered, but I can see in your eyes you won't give me that possibility, am I wrong?" he asked with a sad smile.

"How did it happen" asked Mufasa, turning to face the shaman completely. "And do not hide anything from me this time" he warned.

And so, he was explained about everything. His brother, who hadn't been there, was also new to all the story. Mufasa couldn't believe his ears, and, for the gleam in Scar's eyes, he supposed his brother was as lost as him. Kwenja was attacking Rafiki, he tried to even kill his mate. Mufasa admired how diplomatic Sarabi could be in some situations, he would have not thought about anything else if he had seen that cheetah attacking her. Or anyone he cared for. When Sarabi explained how Kwenja seemed to come back to his senses thanks to Izulu, everything seemed more complicated, and lost the small sense the story had.

"He tried to warn me" Sarabi said. A frown wrinkled her pretty face. "He told me… That someone was coming"

"Who?" asked Mufasa, now more worried than before.

Sarabi shook her head, and Mufasa contained a frustrated growl. "He couldn't tell. He… He… _passed out_ "

Mufasa supposed that was easier than saying 'he died on the top of my chest, with his sister looking'. He growled this time. It seemed like a fantastical story, one a parent would tell their children at All Hallows' Eve, not something a King would have to take care of. A King should worry about droughts, food and the peace among species. Not this crazy thing.

"He seemed to be in a trance, then" Scar spoke. "It's a psychologic mechanism when someone abandon certain external or internal conditions" he explained, looking at Mufasa with the hint of a smile.

"I know what it is…" said Mufasa rolling his eyes in annoyance. Yet, those little taunts made him remember their cubhood, so he let him do.

"Rafiki, you muttered something about Kwenja not being Izulu's brother anymore" said Sarabi, with a sober expression. "Did you say it because you knew that?"

"Yes, I did" the shaman confessed. Mufasa saw he was still rigid, tensed. He was still hiding something. But this time he let Sarabi handle him. She could be very terrifying. when she wanted to. He had seen it himself.

"Then, why didn't you…?"

"It is not easy to explain" interrupted the baboon. Another strange thing from him to do, but he talked so calmly no one dared to say a word about it. "I can recognise it because I can do it"

"Using animals as puppets?" asked the Queen, arching an eyebrow.

"I'm a shaman, remember?" he asked, this time with an annoying tone. Mufasa remembered he had said that to him before, but doubted he was annoyed because of repeating it. There had to be something more. "My family has known and practise all kind of magic. From white and pure to cure animals in need… to the darkest ones, able to curse the enemies of our Kings"

Everybody had their glares fixed on the baboon. They knew Rafiki could be powerful – being able to talk with the spirits, predicting the future most of the times with a simple turtle shell… those were things that could be used as evidences of how strange he was, and what kind of powers he held. But none of them ever thought about the possibility of him using bad magic… Or black magic… Or whatever that was called. Mufasa didn't want to think about that very much; the headache was coming back.

"Are you saying that the wild dogs have a shaman helping them?" asked Mufasa, when he saw nobody else wanted to talk.

"I… I can't be sure of that"

Another lie. Mufasa saw it, but decided to let it go… by the moment. He decided to focus on how strong that dog seemed to be, how absent a few seemed, how their moves seemed to be automatic and not thought. Chills went down his spine. Thinking about someone controlling another living being as a personal puppet was one of the few things that turned his stomach.

Rafiki sighing – a very tired and exhausted sigh, another bad signal… How many had occurred by then? – took them all out of their thoughts.

"This has been a very tiring day. I think the best we can do is going to sleep"

"Sounds good for me… I'll go to the den, Simba must be waiting for me" Mufasa saw his mate avoiding his sight.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, worried for their son.

"Yes, dear, do not worry" said the Queen, giving him the best smile she could do in a situation like that. Then, she nuzzled him once again. This was enough to calm him by the moment. "Try to sleep and rest. Tomorrow we will need a lot of energy"

She was right. They will have to arrange a meeting tomorrow, alert of the danger, interrogate Rafiki… Well, he could do that on his own. When his mate left, not before licking his cheek with affection, his eyes fell on his brother. He admired how cold-headed he could be after everything he was informed. He wished to be like that sometimes.

"Scar" he called, taking a step closer. With the corner of his eye, he saw Rafiki climbing the tree. "Again, thank you for your help"

His brother eyed him with a bit of curiosity. Then, he just shrugged. "Listen to your mate, Mufasa; I know your big pride wouldn't stand repeating the lamentable spectacle I had to witness today"

And with that, he disappeared from sight. Mufasa swallowed, trying with all his might not go after him. _No, right now, you owe him your own life. You will have to stand all that until the favour is given back_. He doubted Scar would think like that; returning favours was an important law and tradition. Two things Scar never wanted to know anything about. But Mufasa will do it, for honour, at least.

He rested on the nest, not before trying to see Rafiki among the leaves. Nothing. He was starting to be sick of that bad habit of disappearing with ease. He thought about Simba. Was he fine? Sarabi seemed to know something about him he didn't… He thought about all he would have to explain Kali, and how he would have to arm himself with patience… He thought about how would he talk to Jelani about what happened with Kwenja without seem an idiot or a mad lion. He rested on his side and closed his eyes. Tomorrow was going to be one of those days he hated to be King.

* * *

Usually, she would have feared the image in front of her. _He_ was beyond mad. He had a dangerous gleam in his red orbs, they seemed fire. Her soul felt burnt because of that. His white fangs cut her with only looking at them. He tapped the rock ground with one paw, the only sound that could be heard.

By her right, her mate stood. Head bowed as usual. By her left, that damned dog, Uhari, looked at them both with anger and, should she said, repugnance. She didn't mind. She didn't mind at all. She only had one thing in mind. And that was the most important thing of the world. The rest wasn't important right then.

"What should I do now…?" the dark and deep voice of that revolting being echoed through the cave. His voice was so calm… and that was dangerous. His calm irritation was so damn dangerous. "Should I forgive your foolishness? Or should I punish it? I must admit I thought you would have learnt what happens when you disobey my orders…"

"Master, we didn't want to…" tried to apologise her mate.

A roar silenced him, and made him flinch. "No more excuses, Batili! I see myself as a very understanding lion, but you seem to like the beast instead of the diplomatic me…"

"No, that is not…"

"I said silence!"

He got up. She saw him bigger than yesterday. Each day he seemed bigger, more like a shadowy monster. Each day she hated him even more.

"I see I made a mistake by trusting such a difficult task to stupid and incompetent creatures… I should have trusted you first, dear" he said, now looking behind them. Nyeti didn't need to turn to know who he was referring to. "You can go, then, sweetheart, I know you won't fail me as these brainless mongrels"

As Nyeti heard steps getting further from them, she gritted her teeth. Unable to be silent anymore, she dared to speak without permission: "It wasn't our fault that your favourite takes the law in his own paws" She felt the dangerous shine of the dark lion's eyes with more intensity then; the terrified look of his mate accompanied it.

"Ny…!" said Batili in a low voice, wanting to reprimand her.

She wasn't going to allow him: "No! My sister is dead because of that stupid and selfish bastard!" she screamed at him. Then, looking daggers at the lion, she added: "And because of you! How do you dare talking about disobeying, about punishments? You say you're understanding? You only focus on taking over a kingdom, promising us food and security, but since you arrive at our lives, we have everything but that!"

It was her truth, a truth she didn't dare to say aloud because of fear. But today that was over. When they were running away from the hyenas, her sister was left behind. Uhari, who saw her first, could have saved her, but he left her behind. He left her to die. She doubted those stinky hyenas would have mercy of her. Ujinga, her little and beloved sister, was dead. There was nothing more important for her, not even her own life.

Her complaints were rapidly silenced. She had expected the blow, but it surprised her, though. She felt his claws scratching her snout, making her roll and hit the wall. A few pebbles fell on her, but everything was going in circle around her, so she barely felt them.

"Nyeti!" she heard her mate calling her, worried, and in less than a second he was by her side. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She didn't have time to answer. The dizziness and the deep voice of the lion prevented her to do so: "You sister is dead because she is the one who always took the law in her own paws" he got closer to her and Batili. The male bowed his head, still she could see him baring his teeth. It was good to know he was still defending her under his passivity. "She listened too much to her feelings, she believed too much about peace offers and talking, instead of acting. She wrote her own destiny, and today was her last chapter" He turned his back on her. "Now, get out of my sight, or I'll reunite you with your little sister"

"Come on, Ny" whispered Batili, helping her to get up.

She only had strengths to nod, unwillingly though. She could only though, while eyeing that filthy beast: _You would do me a favour, then…_

* * *

 **Yep, I like fantasy and magic a lot... Also, the psychic things, along with spiritual. Maybe it's because of that I always liked Lion King so much, with all the Great Kings of the Past thing. It is really nice. Sorry for the delay, I'm still dealing with low esteem.**

 **Story Writer 2015: He really owes him, indeed XD. Thanks!**

 **Fluffy dream: I loved to write that little flashback, love to imagine them like that as cubs. Thank you!**

 **Joseph94: Thank you for you kidness!**

 **Handy Dandy: Those are my favourite scenes to write, read and see as well =) So, I had a great time writing it, even if it was a bit difficult at first XD. Alright, alright I won't ramble XD. I wanted to give an explanation of why he hated them, then I thought: why should I? There's a lot of racism and hatred just because people are assholes and ignorant. So Ahadi represents that pest who refuse to change their minds and thinks they're above everybody else because they're white, black, men, women, or whatever. Another reason to hate this lion, I guess XD! Thank you!**

 **As it is Christmas, I will be writing Christmas specials of my other projects and series, do not know if Lion King will be one of them. Also, I've been wanting to start my own novel, so yes, I'll be a bit busy, but I'll try to not take too long to update. Thank you for your kidness, patience and support. Have a nice weekend!**


	12. Convenience

**Chapter 12:**

" _ **Convenience"**_

 _Patience is a great virtue_ ; her sister had told her countless times. _Life is generous to those who wait_. And so, she waited. Those stinky hyenas made sure she was kept inside that fetid and tight hole. Ujinga felt about to vomit a few times for the strong smell of death the Graveyard possessed. She was told stories about hyenas and their repugnant home, but she always thought they were exaggerations, tales to scare little pups to prevent them to go exploring… She had never wished to be right that much as now…

Ujinga wasn't a very observant dog, unlike her sister. She wasn't patient, either; unlike her sister… But this time, she had to be. She tried to remember all the advices Nyeti selflessly gave her since she was born. _Patience, patience, patience… You have to patient… Do not be imprudent…_ The hyenas took turns to watch her. Some behave better than others, but all looked at her with disgust. She feared she could be attacked any minute. In fact, why were they keeping her alive? It had no sense at all. _That is not important. Focus. They haven't switched turns in a while… Wait, wait, wait…_

"Hey, you two! Shenzi says you can rest now!" a voice said from above…

…And she smiled.

Climbing was easy, she was very good at it. She's been climbing since she was barely a new-born. Her mother used to call her 'the adventurous one'. Her claws were sharped, her strengths had come back to her, she was more resolute than ever. She wasn't going to stay there. She heard murmurs, and then, loud laughter. They were laughing at her, maybe about the cruel torture that Matriarch had in mind for her. _She will have to do it with another wild dog, because I'm out of here._

She let the wild animal that lived within her take control over her actions. She leapt at the wall and hung onto it, burying her claws in the dead and dry ground. She repeated the action before she could lost hold. She leapt to the left, to the right, then, and, finally, to the left again, reaching the surface. Clouds covered any light the sun could offer, but out there was clearer than inside that hole. Ujinga looked forwards, and frowned when she saw four hyenas chatting, not noticing her. How much she wanted to sink her teeth into their pelts, scratch them, making them suffer…

 _No_ , she told herself, shaking her head. _Run. Run now that no one has noticed you_. She turned around and took to her heels. She was the faster. In fact, she was mad at herself when she couldn't escape the rocks that fell on her because that landslide… But again, if Uhari hadn't pushed her to save his selfish butt…

"Hey! Where's that mongrel?!" she heard one of them saying, in the distance.

 _Shit…_ She thought to herself. _Run, run!_ She let a trail of dust that she created due to her force and speed. Gasps let out her mouth, making her inhale some dust and cough, her heart was dancing violently in her chest, hitting her ribcage, her eyes were burning and teary, the only reminder that she needed to blink. But she was too afraid of closing her eyes…

She scrutinized the ground. A skull over there, a destroyed tusk in front of her… She jumped and fell with a thump. One of her legs bent and she groaned, but kept going. Her front right paw was hurting at each step, each stride felt like hell, but she kept running. She sniffed the air. Grass, water, living animals… Any of those things would tell her that she was reaching the exit of that horrible place. She would enter the kingdom, then, but she would be safer there, when no one knew here… yet.

Ujinga felt tears running down her eyes because of the pain, but she refused to give up. No. She was a fighter. She was the little sister of the leader of her pack. She was the only family Nyeti had left since their parents' death in her youthhood. She couldn't let her down by giving up.

She swore under her breath when she heard the hyenas' laughter… But, were they real or was it her imagination tricking her? Never mind. Running was the only important thing. The border, she had to reach the border. In front of her there was only a thick fog that let her see nothing, and she was starting to feel desperate. Maybe she had to turn to the left? Or the right? Or just keep going forwards? Were her prayers heard up on Heaven? Would this be her last day? Was she supposed to die like that: being scavengers' food?

There was a moment when she couldn't take it any longer. The ankle was hurting too much, she felt hungry and tired, she could barely breathe and her heartbeats were silencing the world around her. She fell, and insulted herself in her mind. _Clumsy! Useless! Stupid! Good for nothing!_ And she cried, gasping, moaning. Were hyenas getting closer to her? Would she feel their sharp teeth skinning her anytime soon?

"There she is!" she heard a male saying from behind. Well, that was sooner than she hoped.

"Nyeti, sister, I'm so sorry…" she murmured in a weak voice, lowing her head in shame.

She was already preparing herself for the bite, for the pain, for losing her life in paws of those damned creatures… When a roar was heard all over the place. _A lion…_ she thought. _What is a lion doing in the Graveyard?... Oh, no, the King…_ Her pack attacked the King, he was looking for revenge on the hyenas, who also seemed to take place at the final moment… And he was going to find her there, completely exhausted and unable to move properly.

A silhouette appeared in front of her. Her vision was blurry, and she couldn't tell if it was because of the fog or her exhaustion. But she saw he was big, with a mane and a tail whipping the air, clearly annoyed. _This is it. The end._

"Please, let it be fast…" she begged to the lion, closing her eyes and, again, waiting for the worst.

"What is the meaning of this!" a female voice screamed, beyond mad.

"The Matriarch…" Ujinga whispered.

She opened her eyes again. Now, calmer and with her heart beating slower, she could finally see who was in front of her. In fact, the Matriarch was there. She was fuming mad, and she passed her by without even looking at her. That gave Ujinga time to look at the lion. In fact, he was bigger than her, but not that big as her fear and imagination let her think: he was way slimmer than any other lion she had seen in her entire life, and he didn't seem to want to hurt her… By now, at least.

"Shenzi… Madam, we…" Ujinga heard one of the many hyenas who had followed her trying to apologise to their leader. He was trembling like a leaf at the death glare the hyena was dedicating him.

"Out of my sight, incompetent. _Now_ " By now, Shenzi had lowered her tone, but she sounded even more dangerous than before. So, without thinking, the four hyenas ran, giggling in nervousness as they did so. "Fools" she heard the hyena said.

"Nice job, Shenzi, letting those scatterbrains take care of something as important as this" the wild dog heard the calm yet angry voice of the lion.

"Hey! You're lucky I kept her alive, and without a scratch!"

The lion rolled his emerald eyes and sighed. He looked at her and Ujinga tensed. Why wasn't he attacking her? Why was he with the hyenas? Lions and hyenas were enemies…

"Please, make it quick" Ujinga begged again.

"Beg your pardon?"

"You are not going to let me go, I'm more than sure…" she swallowed, trying to not shake of fear in front of them; she had lost enough dignity that day. "But, please, make it quick"

"Why should we?" the hyena talked, walking to the lion's side. "Why should we have pity on you and do your will?" She was looking at her with so much disgust…

"Shenzi…" the lion reprimanded the Matriarch, and got closer to her. Ujinga immediately flinched. "We will do you no harm"

"Yet"

"Shenzi!"

"They almost killed my cousin!" the hyena screamed, losing the composure. "I don't know what idea you have inside your head, but if I can't let them pay what they did with no reason, I'll…"

"I had nothing to do with your cousin's incident!" Ujinga screamed, in despair. "Nor my sister or her mate!"

"One of my clan saw your pack attacking her. Who do you think I believe?" Shenzi asked gritting her teeth.

"Please, you have to believe me on this. Everything was Uhari's doing!"

"Uhari?" Scar repeated, as if he knew the wild dog; Ujinga ruled that crazy idea out.

"Yes. He's been acting behind our backs. He steals and attacks other animals, he doesn't have to do it, he just does it for fun!" She didn't know why she was telling them all that; maybe it was just that she felt so tired of Uhari… and of everything, in general. Without thinking, she added: "I am not surprised he and the Master get along. They are so similar…"

Ujinga gasped and put a paw on her mouth. Terrified, she looked at the hyena and the lion, who were now exchanging interested glares and smiling slyly. _I've just messed up…_ Ujinga thought, wanting to hit herself… Why hadn't she learned to shut up in time?

"So… A Master you said" Scar spoke first. "Does that mean you are not going it alone?"

"I thought so" Shenzi chimed in. "Such cowards wouldn't have started a rebellion on their own"

Ujinga frowned, really upset at the remark: "We didn't want to start a rebellion; we just wanted to eat. I think you, from all the animals, will understand it"

Shenzi imitated her facial gest and got closer to her, making Ujinga tremble in her spot: "To eat? That was not what your little friend told my cousin. She was going to give her prey, but they keep wanting to fight"

"I told you! Uhari and his gang has nothing to do with us!" Ujinga tried to seem brave, but failed resoundingly when her whole body began to shake at the Matriarch's proximity.

"If you don't want to start a rebellion, that will, without a shadow of a doubt, start a war between species," Scar talked again, getting closer to her as well. Shenzi was put aside – reluctantly – and Ujinga didn't know which one of those two made her more nervous. "what do you want?"

"I told you as well: we want food, water, to feel safe again" Ujinga answered, cautiously. "Please, I swear my sister and Batili had nothing to do with all that has happened to your cousin" she said, now looking at Shenzi, pleading. "There is a bunch of dogs who do not share Uhari's way of acting. That is the true"

"Even if it is, what do I gain letting you go?" Shenzi asked, looking up and down at her. "Will you bring that wild dog and his friends to me?"

"No!" Ujinga said in horror. Sure, she didn't like Uhari, but that was betrayal. In her pack, that was unthinkable.

"Then, you'll be useless once I let you go" The hyena got closer to her again, the lion's glare was fixed on her. "I can bet you've heard lots of clichés and rumours about hyenas, right?"

"Yes, ma'am" she answered, trying to be as respectful as ever. She couldn't move her glare away from the hyena's unsheathed claws.

"And have you heard how protective we can be over our clan members?"

Ujinga's breathing was becoming laborious by then, her heart was hitting her chest with too much force. She didn't answer, she couldn't find her voice, and she was terrified that that could infuriate the Matriarch even more. When she felt the hyena's paw on her side, she just could press her lips and try to control her breathing, though keeping appearances seemed a foolish action right now.

"Well, guess what? I think that is one of the few which is pure true" Shenzi spoke with venom in her voice, it was clear in each syllable how much she desired to tear her apart right then.

"Stop it, Shenzi" the lion spoke with boredom. The hyena didn't apart her paw from her in a while, and so, Ujinga heard the male saying again, this time a bit angry: "Shenzi".

Ujinga heard the hyena grumble and felt her taking away her paw. The wild dog sighed relieved, but became tensed again when Shenzi murmured, loud enough for her to hear:

"You're being too lucky, and luck runs out quickly"

Ujinga knew that was true, but hoped she still had a bit of luck left to handle the situation before she could be able to escape. Because a sore ankle wouldn't be enough to stop her to reach Nyeti.

"Listen, dog, I can see, clear as water, that you want to leave" Scar began to say. Ujinga rolled her eyes. "I will let you go with one condition"

Ujinga eyed the male suspiciously, and then looked at the hyena, who was now pouting like a little pup who had been taken away their toy. Paying attention to the lion, she asked:

"And that would be?"

"Let's make a deal"

"A deal?"

"I'll help you go back to your dear family if you tell me all I need to know"

"How do you expect me to trust you?"

"Because it is because of me that you are not dead already. Really, if it had been up to Shenzi, you and I wouldn't be having this conversation"

Ujinga wrinkled her lips. Trusting another lion? Not in a million of years… Hyenas would finish her off, but at least she was sure of what would happen to her. However, if she chose to do what that lion was asking her to, she didn't know what would happen. Maybe she would end up dead, but after countless of tortures if she refused to say something or he thought she was lying to him. If she was going to end up dead anyway, she chose the hyenas…

The lion seemed to notice her uncertainty, because he said:

"I give you my word"

Ujinga laughed sarcastically at that: "What value does a lion's word have?"

Scar didn't show any emotion at the comment, but his sharp tone let her see she had offended him: "When I promise something, I go to the end. Well, that unless…"

"Unless what?" she inquired, both curious and afraid.

"Unless you betray me"

Ujinga lowered her glare, thinking. Was he being sincere? She couldn't tell. She had been lied for a long time, and she didn't want to risk it all. She saw the lion lowering his head to her level before speaking again.

"I am the only one who can save you from both the hyenas and the King's ire"

At that, she became curious again, and looked at him with a cocked eyebrow: "The King? How could you possibly…?"

She fell silent. Her eyes went wide with realization. At first, she was shocked to see a lion so close to a hyena – and with her trust! – and now, she was even more surprised to discover he thought he could have a chance against such a brawny and violent lion as King Mufasa was. And with that thought, it hit her: that lion was _way_ thinner, smaller and weaker than the Lion King. He could only be…

"You're the King's brother" she muttered.

She saw the lion and the hyena looking at her in surprise, and then sharing one more glare of disconcert. She knew she had messed it up again, but this time, she didn't give any of them time to interrogate her any longer.

"I'll tell you all I know… But I also have a condition"

"Do you think you are in any position to…!" began to complain Shenzi, enraged.

Scar stopped her: "What condition?"

"I want protection"

"I've already told you that nor the hyenas nor Mufa…"

"No" she interrupted. She got up, trying to ignore the pain in her paw. Now, she got him, and she felt her strengths coming back. "I don't want _any_ protection"

Scar bared his teeth at her: "You cannot…"

"Yes, I can" she interrupted once again. "What will I gain giving you information without being completely sure I will be able to go back when we're finished? If I refuse to help you, hyenas will kill me; if I help you, I will be killed as well. I know your kind: Kings of beasts, too up in the clouds that you barely bother to see the suffering the ones living on earth are suffering. I will _not_ trust you"

"Why will you trust Mufasa, then?" Scar asked, being really annoyed at her attitude. "He's a lion, just like me"

"A lion with a crown" she simply said, seeing, with rejoice, how that hit the lion right in the soul… if he had any… "A promise coming from the royal family, from the _King_ , will be fulfilled, no matter what"

She knew that was truly risky, but she had to try. Because she preferred to be on Mufasa's side rather than her former Master. Mufasa could have killed her, but he didn't. And she hadn't forgotten that action. How could she? It was too shocking. She didn't know why the King saved her life, but maybe it was a sign. She didn't trust lions, but she knew war was coming, just as this dark lion said, and she had to choose sides.

"Alright" the lion said finally; he wasn't happy.

"Scar…!" said Shenzi, surprised. She was silent when the lion roared at her.

"You are one tricky wild dog" he commented, looking at her, apparently less angry than before.

"You have to be in order to survive in the game of life"

* * *

The first thing Mufasa felt when he woke up was coldness. He put a paw on his forehead, and it didn't feel warm; he looked at his reflection in the water his brother brought him last night and saw he wasn't pale nor his cheeks were red. He didn't have a fever any longer. He looked up and saw the cloudy sky and the tree leaves dancing with the wind. It was cold. And dark. And he was sure it was early in the morning. Not that he was an early-rising lion, but he couldn't help it when something was troubling him.

Groaning, he got up, and looked around him. He sniffed. Rafiki wasn't near. Good. He could finally leave. He didn't want to be held up just because Rafiki would want to check on him, ask him millions of times if he was feeling fine, and convince him to stay all day in bed to rest. No. He couldn't rest. The committee had to meet today, and he wasn't going to let Sarabi go all by herself. She seemed pretty affected for what happened with Kwenja.

 _Kwenja…_ The cheetah, the _deceased_ cheetah to be more exact. Kwenja was dead, even though he had promised he would be well cared for. _Control living beings as puppets…_ How could that be done? Who could be able to do such a thing? Whoever that was, it will be dangerous. And Mufasa needed to be stronger than ever. A simple cold couldn't stop him. He was the Lion King, and as such he will behave.

"Mufasa" he was called.

He looked forwards, seeing Sarabi standing in front of him. Mufasa looked deeper. She had bags under her eyes and looked so tired. The King felt horrible with that sight. It was his fault as well. Sarabi shouldn't have seen what happened with Kwenja. Just because he wanted to get some air… How could he have been so stupid? He had to be there for everybody, especially his Queen.

"Sarabi, how are you feeling?" he asked, trotting to her as fast as he could to nuzzle her.

The Queen let out a laugh and replied: "I think you're asking the wrong animal"

"I'm fine, Sarabi, but you look…"

Mufasa stopped talking when he got separated from her and looked at her eyes, shining dangerously to tell him: 'be careful with what you're going to say'. And Mufasa, in any other situation could've shut up, but this day… Gosh, this day he was feeling extremely anxious and tired at the same time. And it had only started…

"Sarabi, I think you should stay in the den today" he said, harsher than he intended.

"I will not" the female said immediately, frowning.

"Sarabi, look at yourself, you have bags under your eyes, and you seem very tired"

"Have you seen yourself? You've just woken up after a whole day of being sick, in which you didn't tell me you were feeling bad, by the way, and you're going directly to a reunion with the committee, without a chat with Rafiki to see if you're fully recovered" her sharp tone surprised Mufasa. "I'm the Queen, and, also, the witness of Kwenja's death and what happened to him before that, whatever that was…" she took a moment to breathe. "There is no way I am not going, this is my responsibility, and my kingdom as well"

Sarabi had _never_ talked to him like that. In fact, he had never heard of a Queen talking in such a manner to her King. And Mufasa knew he should feel angry and offended, but he didn't. He had seen his mother being submissive during her marriage, and was explained that was the way females had to act towards their ruler. He always hated that thought, and made a promise to never look down on his mate. Sarabi was as intelligent, strong, wise and brave as he was, maybe even more. She deserved all the respect he could give her. So, even if he was worried about her, he knew she would never let him send her to the den to do nothing in all day. No. Sarabi refused to admit she was feeling bad, to accept days off.

"Alright" he said, with a long and sad sigh.

"Good. Now, let's get going… Jelani is not a patient cheetah" she said with coldness in her voice.

They set out on the cheetahs' lands. Mufasa never stopped thinking about what had happened to Sarabi. She was stubborn, yes, but she never acted this way, and she was gentle with people, especially when they showed their worry towards her. Mufasa was feeling extremely angry at himself, and guilty as well, for haven't been there for her when Kwenja lost control and died…

When both Kings arrived at the place, the silence and coldness of the day became way heavier. Mufasa had to move his head a few times, trying to erase the imaginary pain in his shoulders. From time to time, he looked at Sarabi, only to see her looking at the ground or forwards. He wanted to know what was inside her mind, to discover what was taking her security and the trust she had with him away.

Sarabi was the first one who saw the cheetahs, standing in a circle in silence. Mufasa raised a bit his head, only to see what seemed to be a portion of the dirt adorned with flowers. A tomb. Kwenja had been buried already, and they were all in the middle of his funeral. There was no cheetah who was not crying or, at least, with long faces for the loss of a good friend.

Sarabi and him bowed their head in respect, and decided to wait until either Mkali or Jelani decided to come to them, and start the conversation. There was no sign of Kali with his partner. Maybe he hadn't been informed. Just then, Mufasa realised how many things he didn't know and should've asked on the way. He was being a disastrous and careless King lately. He must begin to focus on the important things. Like a murderer controlling other animals to do his will.

Just when he saw Sarabi raising her head, he imitated her. It was impressive how Sarabi could catch his attention that much, and to make him forget the world around him; especially, when he thought about the fact that they had known each other for almost all their lives.

Jelani and Mkali were approaching them. Their glares were telling him everything they were about to tell him: how sad and angry they felt, and how disappointed as well. Though he didn't know if he was imagining that last one or not. He decided to not think about that too much.

The two couples bowed their heads as a greeting. Mufasa was about to give the condolences when the silence was abruptly and unexpectedly broken by a furious and devastated scream.

"What is _he_ doing here?!"

"Izulu, don't" Mkali said immediately when she saw the young and crying cheetah coming directly to them… _Directly to me_ , Mufasa thought.

"Why is he here!" Izulu demanded at the top of her voice.

"We need to talk to him about…" tried to explain their leader.

"He does not have the right to be here!" interrupted the cheetah, crying her eyes out once again. Hyperventilating, she added: "It is all his fault, my brother is dead, and it's his fault!" Mufasa swallowed and inhale slowly, he felt Sarabi getting closer to him to give him support, but he could felt she was as startled as he was.

"He doesn't have anything to do with…" Mkali tried once again, always with a gentle tone, a comforting whisper a mother would give her hurt chid. But Izulu was blind by ire and sadness. And Mufasa couldn't blame her.

"He promised me he would be fine, he promised me!" the young cheetah shouted, with tears running down her cheeks. Then, she looked at the King with so much hatred and revulsion that Mufasa felt smaller than ever in his life. "You killed him! I've lost my brother, it was the only family I had left!" she condemned him.

She tried to get closer to him, even leap on him, but Mkali and Jelani put themselves between the Kings and the young one: "Izulu, calm down" said the male cheetah with a frown of worry.

Izulu was still able to look at him, though, and with venom in her voice, screamed: "I've lost my brother because of you! Murderer!"

"Izulu!" Mkali said, horrified, but she couldn't reprehend her as she ran to the opposite direction, with the attention of the whole pack on her as she disappeared from their sights. A few cheetahs followed her, and Mkali sighed, completely exhausted: "I am sorry, your Majesty. She…"

"No" Mufasa stopped her. "I am the one who should apologise. I did promise her her brother would be fine, and I couldn't do it"

"You had no control over that" Jelani spoke all of a sudden, and Mufasa and Sarabi were surprised to hear him defending the King. "None of us does, unfortunately"

"Sarabi, you were present when it happened" Mkali said. "Could you explain us what happened? Izulu and you seemed to be pretty affected"

Mufasa was affected by that affirmation, which made him feel ten times worse than before. Sarabi, without showing any emotions, proceeded to explain what happened. From time to time, her voice sounded trembling, but she managed to conceal it from the cheetahs, who narrowed their eyes at the story. The royal couple couldn't blame them for not believing the Queen, and when Mufasa explained to them his not-so-good experience with the wild dogs and what Rafiki revealed last night, the cheetahs were absolutely in shock.

"This is serious" Mkali spoke first. "And so dangerous as well… If Kwenja, for whatever reasons, bumped into that animal that day…"

"You told us he was screaming when you found him" Mufasa commented.

"Yes, he was alone when some of our pack found him" Jelani nodded. "But he kept saying things as 'get away' or 'no, no'. We only thought he was in shock" The ruler of those lands sighed and passed a paw through his face. "What are we going to do now?"

"We have to alert Kali and his pride" Mufasa said immediately. "He also had cubs back in his lands"

"Yes, we have to protect the kids" Mkali agreed.

"I'll make sure Zazu go to tell Kali all we discussed here today" Sarabi informed.

"Good… But, we really wanted to ask you for a favour" Jelani said, taking a step forwards.

"Whatever you need"

"The attacks of the wild dogs had occurred near the borders of the kingdom" he began to explain. "We are living near one of those borders… But you are living in Pride Rock, where they haven't put their snouts out"

"So, we were wondering if you would take Utamu with you so she could be safe" finished Mkali, looking pleadingly at Sarabi.

The Queen showed her her warmest smile: "Of course, Mkali"

"We'll be glad to have her in our pride" reassured Mufasa.

The couple shared happy glares and the Kings also looked at each other with a wee smile. Things went better than they thought, and that was a good signal.

* * *

It was clear Utamu didn't want to leave the lands she was born in, but she didn't want to let anybody notice it, showing she was way more mature than Mufasa could've thought. Jelani hugged his little treasure with all his might, being that the first and only moment of fragility he had shown in front of anyone since he knew him. Mkali also let her mask of harsh leader aside, and licked and hugged her only daughter with all the love a mother's heart could hold. Mufasa heard her whispering in the little one's ear:

"Never forget where you come from neither who you are. Be strong, my sweetheart, and remember that you'll be fine as long as you remain true to yourself"

"I love you, mummy" he heard the cub said, then.

"I love you more" Mkali said, licking her head one last time.

Utamu seemed a bit afraid to get closer to them at first, but once they started to walk back to Pride Rock, she acted more confident and maintained her head up, just as her mother, for sure, had taught her to behave. Mufasa was touched by her attitude, and try to focus his attention on that rather than on how her parents had to be feeling, and how hard it would be for a parent to lose a child.

Yes, they were going to be reunite… but just as long as he could handle and solve this situation. And he made a promise to himself: Utamu, no matter what, would come back home.

* * *

"Sire, it is good to see you're back"

The first one to receive them was Zazu, always so attentive to any detail. Zazu looked at Utamu a bit confused, but decided to let it go. And that made Mufasa knew something had happened. _Please, not again…_

"Sire, something happened at the morning patrol" he informed, landing on a near rock.

"The morning patrol? Who…?"

"I asked Sarafina and Naanda if they could watch the border while we were out" Sarabi explained. "What happens, Zazu? Are they fine?"

"Yes, don't worry. It is just that… they found a lioness all alone and quite weak near the borders"

"Alone?" asked Mufasa.

"Yes, sire. Sarafina and Naanda took her to Pride Rock, where she was given some water. She told them she wanted to talk to the King"

Mufasa took a moment before saying: "Are you sure she was alone?" The las thing he needed was a misunderstanding and a fight with another male lion for territory.

"Absolutely, sire. And, she seems to be a bit unsettled"

"Alright, Zazu, I'll talk to her right now. Fly ahead"

* * *

 **Almost two months, wow... I'm sorry for this long delay, but both January and December were really stressful to me and I had to deal with a bit of depression and anxiety, which caused this terrible writer's block. Really, I haven't written anything these past two months, not only this fanfic. Besides, as it usually happens to me, I started to dislike all my stories, so I just gave myself a time to think otherwise and kept going. The good news are that I did write a summary of all the chapters ahead, and so I have a guide for when I forgot how I wanted something to happen; the bad news... that no matter that guide, if I had this block it was useless to write XD**

 **I want to thank your patience and your support, it really means a lot.**

 **Jem Boy: Nope, I haven't told you. Thank you, love your reviews!**

 **Guest: Merci! Je suis content que tu apprécies ma histoire. Cela signifie beaucoup pour moi! (I hope I wrote that okay XD)**

 **Joseph94: Sí, siempre he estado fascinada por esa clase de historias (de peque me encantaban las historias del Rey Arturo, a pesar de que nunca leí ningún libro o vi ninguna película, era solo una gran fascinación venida de ningún lugar XD). ¡Gracias!**

 **All Hail King Scar: I think I answered you... Let me know if I didn't... And, maybe Scar will, maybe not. (I'm so evil, I've spent two months giving you nothing and now I dare to be mysterious XD). Yep, they make a great team indeed. Thanks!**

 **Handy Dandy: I was going to write a Krismasi special, but for the reasons I put above, I couldn't :( But, don't worry, because no matter the month, I'll try to write it down... For me, it is never too soon for Christmas LOL. Aaw, that is so nice! I didn't realise I was using literary devices XD. You really cheer me up with that, thanks!**

 **Jaeroar: Thanks!**

 **NostalgiaCritic: Thanks!**

 **Handy Dandy: Oh, yes! I really love that series! The funny thing is that I discovered it thanks to that exact episode LOL. I was glad to see Scar was "good" in that universe, and I can't wait to see what happens next!**

 **BOB: Sorry, hope you liked it :)**

 **I hope you all have a nice and wonderful 2017!**


	13. Trust a few

**Chapter 13:**

" _ **Trust a few"**_

Sarafina was terrified when she saw King Mufasa arriving at Pride Rock. She swallowed her fear. When you act against a crowd, this tended to realise very soon, and that would end terrible wrong for you. Sarafina learnt that the hard way.

Of course, being the only lioness of the pride who hadn't been born there made her different from the start, and that only accentuated her different way of thinking and acting. Alright, her new pride didn't bully her as it happened to her back at her home, but still, if she decided to swim against the current, she would be more criticised than Naanda, for example. Sarafina tried to not laugh. _Seeing Naanda going against the laws and being open-minded? That was a good one, brain!_ She thought. _On the contrary! It is because of her why I am so nervous…_

Sarafina and Diku were the ones who found the lost lioness while watching the borders, as Sarabi commended. She was trying to get something to eat that day. Well, at least, that was the way Sarafina saw it; the rest of the pride thought she was a filthy thief who was trying to steal their food. She never understood her father's lesson as much as when she arrived at the Pridelands: "The truth is in the eye of the beholder". If the beholder is someone envious and rotten to the core, it wasn't shocking to hear the other lionesses saying things like that out loud. The nasty looks appeared almost immediately when she told them she was going to help her. Because if Sarafina learnt something useful in the Pridelands, was to never ask permission for doing such things. Just telling them she was going to do it, and then giving them no time to reply. Filthy, but useful.

Yes, the lioness didn't seem friendly or talkative. She only spoke to tell them she wanted to see the King to ask for refuge. She gave no more details. Didn't seem to trust anybody. Sarafina, all the contrary to her, trusted her when she knew she wanted to be protected. 'Treat as you'd want to be treated', his father also taught her.

She accompanied the lioness, and didn't stop talking. Sarafina saw she was bothering her with all her verbosity, but she didn't want her to hear the nasty comments her pride mates were making about her. Rapid flashbacks of the day she arrived at the Pridelands appeared, and that made her feel compassionate for that lioness who hadn't done any harm. Maybe she had to leave her home because she was in danger. That was the reason Sarafina left her home long ago.

 _Poor Sarafina, she has no clue!  
_ _Females are not made for ruling…  
_ _One is enough.  
_ _I'll have no problems to convince her! The fool has fallen head over the heels in love!_

Sarafina shook her head. She felt sick to her stomach only by remembering his voice. And how stupid she was. And how everybody seemed to hate her when she arrived. And how nobody helped her. And how everybody smiled when Mufasa told her she couldn't stay. And how Scar… Yes, Scar. The King's brother. He was the reason she could be living there nowadays. She would try to act like he acted that day, she knew she could count with his help if Mufasa didn't listen to her. Scar had loquacity. Scar could convince a lion to turn vegetarian. He could convince his brother to let the lioness stay, as he did with her.

"Your Majesties, it's good to see you could came this soon" Naanda spoke first. Sarafina could sense she was dying with desire to see the rogue out of here as fast as possible.

"Zazu informed us about what happened" Mufasa's voice made her flinch. There was a brief interest, but she couldn't tell if it was true or not. "Where is she?"

And she felt the lioness getting up and passing her by. Sarafina glued her turquoise eyes on her. She was brawny, yet skinny, her pelt was a total mess and she had a piece of her right ear ripped. A fighter, a strong fighter. Her moves told her. Her firm jaw, hard glare and brusqueness. She wasn't a typical damsel in distress, nor naïve or feminine. On one paw, she had possibilities to be accepted, she had what it took for hunting; on the other paw, maybe she was too straightforward for the likes of someone like Mufasa.

The lioness took a bow – good start – and then, talked:

"Your Highnesses. I am sorry for trespassing a territory which wasn't my own, but I…" she began. Her voice was husky and rough, even when she tried to sound innocent and fragile.

"As I've been told…" the King interrupted. "…you were seen hunting"

There it was! The trick, the same thing Mufasa did to her when she went to talk to him and ask him for a home. He was trying to put her against the ropes.

"That is true, your Majesty" the lioness simply replied. "I didn't know these were the Pridelands, though I've been looking for them for days"

Mufasa narrowed his eyes, Sarabi looked at her mate with a cocked eyebrow: "Why for?" asked the Queen, seeing she was being ignored. And Sarafina, knowing her friend as she did, knew Sarabi hated to be ignored.

The lioness took a while to answer. She looked at Sarabi up and down. Sarafina saw her friend taking a small step backwards, her entire body tensing. Mufasa, being closer to her – he was by her side! – didn't notice. He decided to take the opportunity to do the same to the rogue. _Maybe he let her stay and become friends,_ Sarafina thought, wrinkling her snout slightly, _both love to inspect others and make them uncomfortable_.

"My pride was attacked" she answered when she had inspected each centimetre of the Queen's body. "By a pack of wild dogs" And she looked at the King again.

"I am sorry to hear that" Sarabi apologised. Sarafina heard her voice cracking a bit. Was it because the wild dogs almost kill her mate, as she told her the last night? Or was it because she could still feel the lioness' glare on her pelt?

"Don't need to be" she said, and fixed her two red eyes, burning as fire itself, on her once again. A wee smile that made almost all of them tremble. The corner of her lips bent as gloomy as a twisted branch of a leaf-less tree. "Not even Kings can control everything"

 _Wrong move. Wrong move!_ Sarafina thought, as she began to panic. She alternated her look between the royal couple. Sarabi seemed inhibit, a trait she wasn't familiarized with, and so, the lionesses glared at each other, shocked to see their Queen so lost in words and unable to turn away her glare from the rogue. Mufasa, on his behalf, tensed, but, on the contrary of his mate, it wasn't because he felt scared, but angry. Well, no, not angry… yet. Just very offended. His pride had been hurt, and Sarafina knew the lioness would remember this day if there was any possibility for her to stay.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Zira"

 _Hatred_ , the blue-eyed lioness thought, and, for the looks of the others, they seemed to know the meaning of her name pretty well too. Sarabi's whole body trembled. A bad sensation filling her. She looked at her, looking for some comprehension, and Sarafina only knew to nod. Her friend wanted to talk to her. And her intuition let her know what kind of conversation it would be.

"Where are the other members of your pride?" the King kept interrogating her.

Zira just shook her head a bit. "Our leader was left fighting with a bunch of mongrels while we escaped. I got separated from the group and tried to find the Pridelands. I cannot be sure whether if the rest is alive or not" A moment of silence in which she seemed to read the King's mind with great ease. "My ex leader is gone for good"

"How are you sure?"

A wee smile once again. "Well, he wasn't as big or strong as you are. And, if what I've heard is true, you just barely escape from the dogs. It's just a supposition, though" she shrugged. "Rumours spread fast around the Savanna" she added when she saw the bewilderment of the King.

Mufasa didn't seem convinced. Sarafina had to admit, she wasn't either. But, _thinking poorly of someone you just met it's rude_ , his father told her as well when she was a little cub. The other lionesses seemed more uncomfortable around Zira as the seconds passed by, and Sarabi, surprisingly, didn't want to say anything more. It was her chance.

"If you'd allow me, your Highness…" she said, approaching the three protagonists and taking a bow. "Zira could be useful to our pride. A good hunter always is. And, I'm sure she is because… Because she learnt to hunt in more difficult environm… Places. Places. I… I know that"

The last sentence was a whisper. Talking wasn't her thing. At least, not in front of a lot of animals. And, yes, six lions and one hornbill were a lot of animals in her opinion. If Zira left, then everything would be lost. Sarafina didn't know why she cared that much… Lie. She knew. But doubted other would and they wouldn't be very nice to her later. Maybe she would count with Sarabi's help, but the Queen wasn't going to be always by her side, defending her. And, she couldn't say anything to them if they criticised her at her backs and in whispers. And that was their favourite way of bullying someone.

She looked at Zira with an apologetic look. The lioness barely seemed affected and just looked at her with the corner of her eye. She didn't look thankful nor disappointed, but Sarafina was feeling terrible. Because she only made things worse for her with a poor defence. A rapid look to Mufasa which became a fixed glare. His facial expression had softened and his garnet eyes were blurry by clouds of yesterday. Whatever he remembered, Sarafina didn't know, but was grateful when the King spoke.

"Alright, Zira, you can stay in the Pridelands if that's your wish" The pride gasped in unison, and Sarabi looked at him, perplex. Mufasa felt the pression, but manage to add: "But, under one condition…"

"That would be…?" asked the lioness, with a cocked eyebrow and a suspicious tone.

"As you're now part of my pride, you will have to help us protect our lands. This is your home, and so, you will must protect it"

"I will" she vowed, bending her head in sign of respect.

"Good. Sarafina"

"Yes?"

"You will show her the Pridelands and explain to her everything she needs to know. Zira, you will be a part of the hunting party this afternoon" he declared.

"Yes, your Majesty" both said, nodding their heads in agreement.

Mufasa imitated the gest as a farewell and turned around, not waiting for any comment the other members of the pride had. Sarabi watched him leave, a frown on her face. She, then, looked at her, and Sarafina smiled as politely as she could. Maybe Sarabi thought this was treason: she had seen the signal and knew her friend wasn't feeling a good vibe around Zira, and yet, she decided to defend her. The Queen's expression softened at her smile, but didn't say a word. Just passed her by and got closer to the whispering trio they had behind.

 _Well, I'm going to be the talk of the kingdom for the next few days… Should I say, "you're welcome"?_ Sarafina though, bitter.

"So?" Zira asked suddenly, taking her out of her thoughts. "Will you do as you were told? In a few hours I will have to hunt with the desperate 'denwives' over there"

Sarafina couldn't hold in a laugh. "You're right. I bet you're thirsty…"

"You offered me water before"

"Yes. I meant I'm thirsty… And, the waterhole is one of the most important places, so…"

Zira sighed. "Do as you think"

* * *

 _Well, I am going to be the talk of the kingdom for the next weeks… Should have I said 'you're welcome' before leaving?_ Mufasa thought, still feeling the heavy weight of the lionesses' glares on his back. If he focused enough, he'd swear he could hear them gossiping about his bad decision. Letting a rogue lioness he knew nothing about in. Yes, not his best move. He'd add it to the black list of all the bad decision he had made that week.

"At least, this can't get any worse, right?" he asked to himself. Then, a scent came to his nostrils. "I talked too soon"

A mix of leaves, dirt and rain. The smell of nature and freedom. The scent of his brother. Of the lion whom he owed with his own life. Scar was a fast thinker, he, for sure, had a few favours in his mind and was more than ready to ask for them. _Let's hope none of them had something to do with all his bitterness…_

He lifted up the glare and wanted to retire what he had thought. He'd have preferred something to do with Scar's rancour instead of _that_.

When Scar was close enough to him to be able to smell _that thing_ as well, he didn't give the thinner lion the chance to speak. He just roared. Enraged, upset and – should he admit it? – hurt.

"What is _that_ doing here?" he demanded.

 _That_ , the wild dog who was by his brother's side, hid herself behind the dark lion, completely terrified of him. That's the way it should be. All of them afraid of him, knowing they weren't allowed to enter his lands. The lands of _his_ family.

"Good morning to you too" said Scar, as upset as him.

 _Oh, this is going to be good…_ Thought Mufasa, shaking his head. Not only he let that plague enter the kingdom, but he dared to be angry at him? Scar had no moderation.

"Your sarcasm is not appropriate right now, Scar" he said, trying to talk as calmly as possible. "What is that doing here?"

" _That_ …"

"You know, as well as everybody else, that their kind are not allowed here"

"I do, but…"

"Especially after what they did to _me_ "

"If you only…"

"The hyenas are one thing, but this is another level, Scar!"

"Do not start confusing apples with pears…"

"I don't know what I am going to do with you!"

"What about letting me answer you!" Scar roared, managing to silence his brother finally. "If you ask something, let the other part explain. You should know this"

Mufasa contained his anger. If his brother and he came to blows, then the whole kingdom would know, and that was the last thing he needed: "Alright. Go ahead"

"Good. In the first place, it's a 'she', not a 'that'"

"Well…"

"And, in the second place, she is aware of her condition, and that is why she came to me in the first place"

"She came to you?" something was off about that sentence.

"Yes" Scar cut him off. "She is prepared to tell us… To tell _you_ all what she knows about why her species want to fight against us"

"And what does she know that I don't? I know what her species want. Revenge for their exile"

"That seems to be just the surface. You were told they were working with someone, and she will tell you who that is"

"Who, then?" He looked at the terrified animal.

"I will tell you if you give me your word that neither I or my family would be hurt" the wild dog, who had been hidden behind Scar all the conversation, decided to take one step forwards, faking confidence.

"My word?" Mufasa asked.

"The word of the King of the beasts. It seems to be very valuable" his brother chimed in.

"As a King, and as a normal lion, my word is" he sentenced. Scar smiled sarcastically and his eyes shone with resentment, but he decided to ignore him, and fixed his attention on the small and shaky wild dog. "Your word, on the contrary, has not the same fame"

"Please… Please, your Majesty, I swear my sister and brother-in-law didn't know what Uhari wanted to do. We didn't want to cause any harm" the animal begged for understanding, but her statement made him madder.

"You didn't want to cause any harm?" he repeated, baring his teeth. "Your family has a very special way of doing it, then. My subjects are terrified, one of them was gravely injured and, now, is dead"

Kwenja's death was a turning point. Mufasa could ignore that he was cowardly ambushed, but wouldn't ignore the death of one of the animals who were his responsibility. Never.

"I… I am sorry, but…" the wild dog tried to say, under her breath.

"His sister is sorry" Mufasa interrupted her, with a hard glare. "Nothing that leaves your mouth has worth for me. And your presence here is non-grata"

"But…"

"Leave these lands now and never think of returning. Because if I just see one of your kind walking on _my_ family's property again…"

"Mufasa, you can't…" Scar tried to say, taking one step forwards.

"I will not be able to see my sister again" the wild dog lamented out loud before storming off, crying her eyes out. Her figure got lost in the distance. With that, Mufasa felt calmer.

"You can't do that" Scar reproached him. "You owe me" he reminded him, and Mufasa pressed his lips. "With your own _life_. And you owe her, as well! She was the one who didn't want to fight. And you know it as well! That is why you didn't kill her while you had the chance!"

Mufasa was preparing his response, he wanted to explain the situation to his brother, try to make him see it wasn't the moment for trusting sixth senses without any logical base. But there was something in that verbal attack that called his attention. How did Scar know he had forgiven the life of a wild dog? The only explanation came up inside his mind and it felt like a slap.

"You were there that night" It wasn't a question, and Scar must have felt it, because he didn't answer. And Mufasa had given him enough time to come up with an excuse, no matter how far-fetched it may sound. Nothing. "You saw I was being ambushed and did nothing?" he compelled.

"I brought you back home" his brother simply replied.

"After I could escape on my own!" He raised his voice again. But, this time, it was more than justifiable. "I could have died"

"Come on, Mufasa, do you think I wouldn't have done something if I knew there were any possibilities of you to not win?" Scar asked, using that innocent tone he had improved along the years.

"You knew I was sick" the King blurted out, rage running through his veins. "You told Rafiki you saw I wasn't feeling fine the day before"

"And what did you expect me to do?" Seeing he had been caught and the fact that he had made him angry seconds ago, Scar decided to let him know he was right. And some part of Mufasa wanted to be wrong on this. "Alert the pride? In case you've forgotten it, it was you the one who went to the gorge in the middle of the night, kilometres away from Pride Rock"

Mufasa swallowed. That was true. It was his imprudence what almost kill him. But he wasn't very good at admitting his own mistakes out loud. Maybe the only thing he had in common with his brother. "You could, at least, have tried to help me. You are stronger than you seem or boast. Between the two we…"

"I will _never_ risk my life for a mistake you made" Scar interrupted him. And Mufasa was speechless not because Scar had raised his voice, but because of the coldness with which he had pronounced those words. "I made that mistake once" he added, colder and with a huskier voice.

And, meanwhile Scar's voice was pure ice, Mufasa's blood was pure fire. It burnt like ten thousand suns and the King would've bet his face was turning red in that instant. It consumed his soul until it was burned to ashes. And, without the voice of his soul guiding him, Mufasa did what he should have done with his brother long ago: using pure and emotionless logic.

"Consider yourself lucky that I've been making the same mistake until today" he declared, while Scar cocked an eyebrow. His attention was caught. "You admitted you refused to help one of your pride, your _King_ ," that word made the slimmer lion flinched, "you may not have planned the ambush, but you decided to watch it. And that must have a proper punishment"

"Are you going to exile me and regret it five minutes later?" his brother dared to mock him.

"No. You did more than disobey a law, you deliberately decided to not act, except when you saw you could have something in return" And, maybe that was the worst part, to know his brother wasn't going to help him unless he would gain something for it.

Scar lifted his chin, defiant: "You won't"

"You will have something in return, though" he ignored him. "I cannot ignore the previous fact as well as I can't ignore that you did brought me to Rafiki's. A life for a life it will be. The debt is settled" he declared, turning around. Before leaving, he added: "You can live here if you want; but keep in mind that you are given what you give. I don't want to hear you again complaining that you receive nothing from any of us"

And he left. With a heavy heart and sorrow. But left without looking back. And Scar, surprisingly, left without a word.

* * *

None of the brothers, so absorbed in their fight, noticed they were watched. Sarafina sighed, sad, and Zira titled her head to the right.

"Not again…" the cream coloured pelt lioness whispered.

"What was all that about?" Zira asked, curious for the first time since she arrived.

"Scar is the King's brother. They do not get along…" Sarafina explained. "So, I would recommend you to not mention him. At least, until things calm down a little" she advised.

Sarafina saw Zira tilting her head once again, her eyes narrowed and sharp. And she felt chills going down her spine, but ignore them. _Do not think bad_ , she reminded herself. She forced a smile, acted polite and both resumed their visit and conversation about the kingdom. And Sarafina was glad when she saw Zira understood the brothers' lives were not included.

* * *

 **My stories start to be like the report cards: they come every three months XD**

 **Now, seriously, sorry for the delay. I do not know what was wrong with this chapter but nothing seems right to me, I think I could write what I had on mind this time... Anxiety has been a great deal lately and so I couldn't write so much, I started a few weeks before. As the chapters are getting harder to write, I don't know when I will update, but I hope it can be sooner this time. Thanks to all who patiently waited.**

 **Fluffy Dream: Thanks!**

 **Joseph: ¡Gracias!**

 **Handy Dandy: I don't follow the Lion Guard, but I once read the second season was going to be a bit darker. I hope Kion does not go on the bad path for feeling inferior to his sister as it happened to Scar, that would be really sad. I think the same, that he grew up and decided to create his own pride when he felt prepared and thought his job was done. It the second movie it was said the hyenas left, so... And, yes, that could be possibly true. They were a lot of hyenas in the first movie, some had to be able to escape after the return of Simba.**

 **Guest: Thank you!**

 ** _Sursum corda_** **!**


	14. Time

**Chapter 14:**

" _ **Time"**_

Sarabi wasn't born in the Pridelands, yet she knew every inch of them. When Mufasa and she were engaged at a young age by the former King Ahadi, she began to spend more time in the kingdom. There were days when she couldn't see her parents and sisters every day. However, there were other days when she didn't see Mufasa, and she was allowed to go to the lands she was born. She was happy, but her sixth sense made her suspicious, and Mufasa's change of behaviour only made everything stranger. She never asked, though. _You are going to be the next King's wife, Sarabi, you must learn how to act; he will be your King, and you will be the mother of his heir and the leader of the hunting party. Royal problems will not be your problem._ Her mother used to tell her. And even today, Sarabi knew she didn't agree. Those were Ahadi's teachings. And Ahadi hated her…

Well, "to hate" is a strong verb. She preferred to say he didn't like her that much for his son. Being the youngest of four daughters made everything complicated for her. Sarabi was always told she would be in charge of her parents' pride one day, that she would marry and have cubs on her own. She never imagined or thought about the possibility of being Queen. If her sister Mawa (the most imaginative and sensitive of the four) had told her she would be part of the royal family one day, she would've laughed in her face. Or, well, when she had left with one of her other friends for not hurting her feelings. Mawa always had dreams that sometimes, she claimed, predicted the future, but Sarabi knew not even in her craziest dreams Mawa had seen her overseeing a kingdom, nor doing what she was doing know: leading the hunters.

The herb of zebras was there, in front of them, grazing, unaware of their presence. Sarabi was there, Sarafina at her left and Zira at her right, but advancing slowly. In a few seconds, the new one would be in front of her. Sarabi had asked Sarafina how things went, and the blue-eyed lioness answered that Zira wasn't an animal of too many words. And the Queen witnessed that when the hour arrived and all of them put on their formation, prepared for going to hunt. Zira, without exchanging a word with any of them, decided to put on her side, and Naanda, who was used to take up that place, looked at the greyish-tan lioness with a dirty look and then at her, asking her to do something. But Sarabi just shrugged and indicated her with the head to be by Zira's side. Naanda did as she was told, but unwillingly. Great, now she was going to put up with her bad mood for the next couple of days. _Mufasa, you will pay for this._

All her past memories came back just because of that small promise. She was taught to comply with the King's orders, even if that King was his husband. Sarabi was infuriated the first days, but then decided to let it go. If Uru and the other Queens had done it, who was she to break a tradition? So, since day one, Sarabi learnt to bite her tongue, to swallow her pride and to vent inside her head. And, sometimes, with Sarafina, after both of them had created a nice friendship that consolidated through the years. She was angry at Mufasa because he had decided such an important thing as letting a complete stranger be part of the pride, without asking for her opinion; she was angry at Sarafina as well, for defending her, but that anger was rapidly gone when she remembered her friend was a rogue at first. And she proved to be a good hunter and an important part of the pride, so Sarabi thought, wanted to think, that Zira would be the same.

But her sixth sense was screaming.

Her sixth sense was burning, hitting her and punishing her with catastrophic endless thoughts. She knew she had to be quiet, she knew, she knew, she had to! But she always knew there would be a day when she couldn't keep the façade for too long, and her true self, the lioness who never shut her opinions up, would appear. It would break the balance, the tradition, the peace… And it wasn't the best of moments, with Kwenja's death, Mufasa's attack, the rebellion of the wild dogs… But maybe it was because all those things that Sarabi was about to explode. She was able to control herself and be cool, but Zira had appeared, she arrived and broke her world. And all that without her permission, without asking her opinion on the matter. Was Mufasa hunting there with them? No. Was he in charge of taking care of the cubs? No. Was he the leader of the hunting party? No. Mufasa let Zira enter, but now was her problem, and not his. And she didn't have the right to opine? Yes, the line had been crossed.

"Sarabi, they are going to see us" Sarafina whispered in her ear, giving her back to the present.

The line had been crossed and she had to let it out. She would face the consequences. But, for now, she would hunt and do her job.

"Alright, the one in the right is limping" she explained, and saw the others were paying attention to her words. "I want you and Diku to go after that one, while Naanda and I go for the oldest, who is away from the group… And… Zira and Dwala…"

"Sarabiiiiiiii!" a voice screamed from behind, in a roar so loud and deep that the zebras raised their heads and, without losing time, ran.

Everybody looked at the Queen, who had her ears pinned, though she did nothing wrong: "It was my name, not me" she poorly excused herself.

"I got mine, I got mine!" Sarafina screamed, running after the slowest one.

"No, Sarafina, wait…!" tried to say Sarabi.

"Team work, what a waste of time!" Zira complained under her breath, running towards the other side.

"Zira!" Sarabi tried to reprehend her.

"Sarabiiiiiiiii!" the voice screamed again, this time closer.

"Who is…?" the Queen was about to ask, stressed and angry. Turning around, she was paralyzed when she saw his father and mother in the distance, approaching them.

Leo raised one paw and waved at her "Hellooooooo!" and Sarabi saw her mother shaking her head, blushing ashamed.

"Aren't those your parents?" Diku asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"… That's what they told me since I was little…" she simply replied, and went towards them by strides.

"Sarabi, dear daughter! Come here!" Leo hugged her without giving her time to react or talk. It may sound childish, but Sarabi felt all her problems fading away when she felt his father's hug and her snout was buried in his mane, and the scent of her parents invade her nostrils.

She didn't doubt, then, in returning the gest. "Dad… Mom… What are you doing here?" she asked with a weak laugh.

"How do you expect us not to come after we heard the bad news?" her mother asked, with that light of maternal love shining in her two orange eyes.

"Oh… You know…" the Queen said, her voice broke a bit, so she cleared her throat. "Everything is alright now, Mom, thank you"

"Are you sure?" his mother insisted while her father ended the hug.

"Yes, Mom. Mufasa is doing fine and I am, too" she reassured, forcing a smile. Mchumba wrinkled her snout, and Sarabi knew she had noticed the fake smile, but, thankfully, Leo interrupted the interrogation.

"So, what were you all doing? I hope we haven't interrupted something important"

"Oh, don't worry, we were just hunting. You know, trying to bring food for everybody to eat tonight" Sarabi answered with a sarcastic tone of voice.

"Aaah, well, I'm glad we didn't bother you at all!"

"He uses the pronoun 'we' with a lot of glibness" Mchumba told the lionesses, who giggled.

"It's nice to have you here again" Diku said, taking a bow, a gest the others imitated.

"Thank you, but, please do not bow your heads!" said Mchumba, blushing once again.

"Let them, honey, it's their tradition" said Leo, feeling important.

"Actually, it is not" said Sarabi, looking at the lionesses. Then, she remembered. "Oh, Heavens, Sarafina and Zira!" and she looked in the directions her two pride-sisters had run.

"Don't worry, Sarabi, they will be fine" Dwala said.

"Yes, Sarafina is fast enough. She will be here in no time!" Diku agreed.

"Well, this time, she has been overtaken" Naanda commented, pointing in the distance with her head.

And, surprised, they saw Zira came back first, dragging a deceased zebra. And there was something in how its blood stained her pelt, paws and snout that Sarabi didn't like a bit. Looking closer, she saw the zebra's neck was broken and still bleeding, as others superficial wounds that adorned its striped body.

Zira drop the carcass in front of the Queen: "I lost the bigger one, but this one is plump enough" was the only thing she said, without making eye contact with anyone.

"Thank you" Sarabi said, as politely as she could.

"You're welcome, your Majesty" and she passed her by.

"Wait, we have to carry it to Pride Rock" Diku said with shyness.

"I've already hunted it, haven't I?" the lioness asked, aggressive, making the lioness bow her head.

"It's alright, Zira. Go to rest if you want to, you earned it" the Queen said, putting herself in front of Diku, who thanked her with the glare.

Zira let a "hmph" out her lips and went back to the Rock. Sarabi was glad to see she said goodbye to her parents, who responded with a nod. And she was glad because anyone who dared to disrespect her parents would live a nightmare with her.

"Who is she?" asked Mchumba, looking at the distant form of Zira.

"A troublemaker" Naanda said, narrowing her eyes.

"Naanda…" Sarabi said firmly.

"It wasn't an insult, just a definition" she defended herself, turning her head with pride.

"She arrived this morning asking for refuge" the Queen answered, still looking at the rebel lioness.

"Refuge?" her mother repeated, confused.

"She told us her pride was attacked by wild dogs" Sarabi answered. She shook her head. "But she hasn't told us where her pride used to live or anything else"

"Well, for what I've seen, I think it was her pride the one who should have come here asking to refuge, after running away from her!" said her father.

"Leo!" Mchumba reproached him.

"What? Have you seen her eyes? Red as a fire in summer. I was afraid to look at her too long, maybe she can set fire to people with just focus"

Sarabi heard her friends laughing. And she had to smile a bit as well. "Dad, come on, she is only having a tough time. She doesn't know any of us" she didn't know if she was trying to convince her father or herself.

"Your daughter is right, dear. Do not be so rude with the poor soul!"

Sarabi laughed a bit. All her worries seemed so distant now. She looked at her back and saw Naanda and Dwala carrying the zebra, and averted her glare to the spot she had seen Sarafina running after another zebra. She was taking too long. But she was also a good hunter and knew how to take care of herself. Sarabi decided to wait until arriving to Pride Rock; if Sarafina wasn't there a few minutes after, she would go look for her.

Thanks to her parents, she didn't think too much about it and was able to calm a bit. But all good things had to come to an end, and so it happened to her. Just when they were ascending the Rock, her parents stopped and she let the others go ahead, knowing they had to tell her something and was personal.

"Something's wrong?" she asked, starting to worry when saw the two of them exchanging nervous glares.

"Mmh, Sarabi, we haven't told you something about our visit" her mother started.

"What happens? Are you two okay?" asked the Queen, feeling anxious.

"Yes, yes, do not worry, dear"

"It's just that we brought someone with us" her father said.

"Oh, really?" Again, that sixth sense telling her something was about to come. "Who?"

"Two _someones_ , actually" her mother corrected.

"Who?" she repeated.

"Your sister, Akili, and her fiancé"

Goodbye, good mood. Akili, the oldest of her three sisters, the grumpiest, and the one who couldn't see her. The other two were more comprehensive when they knew Mufasa chose her as his Queen, though she was starting to think otherwise after seeing neither of them came to the presentation of Simba and hadn't known of any of them in all those months. But, at least, they tried to be polite and kind. Not like Akili. And now, with all she had upon her shoulders, she would have to put up with her hell of a mood and… Wait. Did her mother say…?

"Her fiancé?" Sarabi repeated, completely in shock. "Is Akili getting married?"

Her parents smiled in unison, and Leo let out a deep laugh: "You're right, Sari!"

"She is so excited and happy" Mchumba continued. "She was wondering if you and Mufasa would mind if the wedding can be celebrated here"

"Here?" she blinked a couple of times, trying to analyse all the information she was given. "Well, I… I will have to talk with Mufasa about it, but, right now I fear…"

"Oh, go tell her, honey! She is waiting for us up Pride Rock!" Mchumba said, more than excited to see she had taken the news on the bright side. With her mother on the right side and her father on the left, they made her go up by strides. "We still have to tell your other sisters, I'm sure they will be glad to know the news!"

"Your parrot can take care of that!" Leo said.

"Zazu is a hornbill" Sarabi said, feeling suffocated by all the favours and work a wedding involved. She knew Akili wasn't the most laborious of her family and supposed she would have to take care of everything. Well, maybe her fiancé would help her… Then, it hit her: "Who is she marrying?"

The question left her mouth at the same time her parents and she arrived at the top of Pride Rock, where the Queen saw her. She was being asked a few questions by some of the lionesses of her pride. They remembered the disaster that happened the day she and Mufasa were officially Queen and King, and they knew they had to be cautious around her and what they said in front of her sister.

Akili hadn't change a bit. With the same bright yellow pelt as their father's, the dark orange eyes of their mother, but without the maternal shine Mchumba always wore in her glare. Surprised, she saw her sister running towards her when she noticed her presence, and embraced her tightly.

"Sarabi, it seems like ages since the last day we saw each other!" Akili greeted her, with her husky voice, the voice Sarabi was raised with… But this time sounded velvet, something very foreign in her tone of voice, and the Queen didn't know what to think about that.

"Well, maybe that is because we haven't seen in four years" Sarabi reminded her, with a tiny laugh.

Akili immediately got separated from her, shaking her head. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you and Mufasa when your son was born, sis. Where is the little one?" she asked, looking down the verge of Pride Rock. "I've been waiting here but didn't see any cub"

"Oh, we always let them with Scar when we go hunting" she answered. Sarabi also took a look around them, but this time counting her pride-sisters. With a cocked eyebrow, asked. "Listen, Akili, haven't you seen a tan pelted lioness with a stripe on the forehead?"

"Hm, no. Nobody came here except now you all"

Sarabi wrinkled the snout. Again, that bad sensation. "Neither Sarafina?"

"No… Oh, that reminds I will have to apologise to her as well! I was so rude to her on my last visit!"

"Yes… Do not worry, she's not resentful" Sarabi looked again, this time, beyond the horizon. Not a shadow approaching the royal den. "She should be here by now" she whispered.

"Sarabi, where is my son-in-law?" asked Leo, curious.

"He must be watching the borders" she answered, almost automatically.

"I have to apologise to him as well" Akili said with a sadden tone.

Sarabi fixed her glare in her sister and whispered to her mother: "What medicine are you giving her?"

Mchumba giggled. "It is called 'love', sweetheart"

"Let's hope it lasts" Sarabi joked. "Akili, Mum and Dad told me you are getting married. I'm happy for you" If her sister really wanted to make amends, who was she to not appreciate the gest? Maybe things weren't that bad as she once thought, maybe having her family here, in these difficult moments, was all what she needed to stay strong.

"Thank you so much, Sarabi. That means a lot to me!" And again, another hug, which Sarabi enjoyed more than the first one.

"And who are you marrying?" she asked once they got separated again.

"Oh, you already know him"

"Do I?" Sarabi felt her parents gesticulating exaggeratedly behind her. She turned around and they stopped, faking smiles.

"Yes! Do you remember Kuvutia?" Akili answered, not realizing anything around her.

"Kuvutia?" the Queen repeated, blinking.

"Yes, you must remember him. You were very close when we were little"

"We were" a bitter tone left her mouth, and the happiness she was feeling evaporated. "You pretty know we were" she added.

"I'm going to look for Mufasa and see if he needs help" said Leo, running away from Pride Rock without looking back.

"And I think I'm going to help the girls with the zebra" said Mchumba, running towards the rest of lionesses, who didn't understand what was happening.

"What's wrong?" Diku whispered.

"Grab the stiff and do not look back"

And Mchumba had pronounced those words with so much seriousness, that none of the lionesses dared to contradict her or keep asking.

* * *

Sarafina had lost the zebra long ago, but refused to come back with empty paws. After what happened with Zira that morning, she really needed to do something right during the hunting, and so, she looked and looked for until she bumped into a herd of gazelles. This time, she was going to succeed.

She crouched and hid among the grass, her turquoise eyes watching every move any of the herbivores made. Nobody had noticed her. Good. She examined every of them and finally had decided who was going to feed her and her family tonight. She unsheathed her claws and prepared to leap against her prey. One… Two… Three.

She leapt. And a roar was heard. For her surprise, it wasn't hers. From apparently nowhere, a lion leapt from the other side, and both crashed into each other, while the gazelle took advantage and ran with its herd, not looking back. Sarafina fell to the ground, under the weight of the dark brown lion. She began to hyperventilate when she saw she couldn't move freely, and, frantically, looked in all directions to see if some idea crossed her mind to get herself out of that situation. But before she could think of anything, she heard the light voice of the other hunter, for her surprise, apologising.

"Oh, I'm sorry, ma'am, I didn't see or smell you!"

He sounded so gentle and sincere, that Sarafina decided to take a better look. Her black mane almost covered his two grey eyes, which shone with the same astonishment as hers.

"It's okay… I'm sorry too, I just focus too much on the prey sometimes" she admitted, giggling a bit. Looking around her, she added. "Now, would you mind… letting me up?"

The lion immediately removed from the top of her. "Sorry, again" He looked in the direction the herbivores had left, sighing frustrated. "I think it's too late to try and catch them"

Sarafina nodded in agreement and looked at the sun. It was descending slowly, painting the grass and the sky in orangish tones. "I should come back with my pride" she said, more to herself than to the lion, who looked at her, curious. "Sorry for ruining your hunt"

"Bah, I don't mind. I was only doing it because my mate told me so. I am not that hungry" he replied, shaking one paw in the air.

The blue-eyed lioness giggled, and was glad to have found a kind lion instead of an aggressive one. "Goodbye, then. Have a good night!" she said, turning around and going back to Pride Rock.

"Same!" the lion told her.

Sarafina set out, thinking about who that lion could be. Maybe a rogue, it was the most reasonable thing. She thought about if it was correct to tell Sarabi or Mufasa, but then decided to let it go. He seemed nice, maybe he didn't know he had crossed the borders; she doubted he could do any harm by hunting a few animals and then leave. Where she was born, that kind of lions appeared from time to time, and most of the times, they were very violent. But not this one, she had a good vibe about this one, and was very polite too…

She slowed the pace when she heard something behind her. Turning her head slowly, she saw the lion was right behind her, following her. Maybe her vibes were rusty… She smiled, trying to be nice, and he returned the gesture, and then decided to look forwards again. _Nothing's wrong, maybe he would turn soon…_ But he didn't. She still heard his steps from behind. She looked at her backs, with the corner of her eye, and saw him there.

She stopped and, with a frown, decided to look at him directly: "Hm, do you need something?"

"No" he simply replied.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes"

"… Alright… _Goodbye_ , then" she repeated, narrowing her eyes.

"Goodbye"

She looked at him a few more seconds before turning around and resume her walk. And she still heard the steps from behind, and saw the shadow of the lion following her. _Is this a joke…?_ She thought, starting to be upset. She decided to hurry up, and, for her bad surprise, the lion did exactly the same. There was a moment when she walked by strides, and again, she was imitated.

And then something inside her head made 'click'. After two opportunities she decided to give the unknown lion to turn around and leave her alone, she turned around, roaring furiously, and leapt on him, and threw him to the ground. The lion seemed surprised at first, but then frowned. Without giving him time to react or talk, Sarafina shouted.

"What is your problem?"

"My problem? You are the one who threw me to the ground out of the blue!"

"I'm trying to walk back home, alright? I've already got one shadow, don't need two, thank you very much!"

"What are you saying?"

"You were following me"

"I was walking"

"Walking while following me"

"You are more conceited than a peacock, I was minding my own business!"

"Minding your own business while following me"

"I wasn't following you, I was going home as well"

"Of course, and you really think I am going to believe it"

"Listen, _creamy_ …"

" _Creamy_?"

"It's your pelt colour, isn't it?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Then, listen, _creamy_ …"

" _Sarafina_ " she said upset by the nickname.

"Whatever. I was trying to hunt"

"Yes"

"When you shooed my prey"

"No, no, no…"

"I was talking" he complained.

" _You_ shooed _my_ prey" she corrected.

"No, you did"

"You did"

"I was there first"

"And I live here. Let's not get into that matter, because you would lose"

"Hey, I can understand you are upset because your disastrous attempt of hunting…"

"Excuse me…?"

"But do not take it out on me"

"You…"

"I am not to blame of you being a bad hunter"

Oh, that was it. "Excuse me, sir, but I _can_ hunt. I've been the best hunter in all the prides I've lived"

He smiled with cockiness. "Well, that may be because you and I never lived in the same pride, then"

"And I'm thanking the Heavens because of it…"

"Could you thank the Heavens while letting me up?"

"No. I'm not over talking with you"

"Look, creamy, I'd love to let you see you're wrong in this, but I have to go"

"I told you I am Sarafina. And I am not. I live here and have more rights to be hunting here"

"Our wide vocabulary can define what you were doing with lots of words, but 'hunting' is not one of them" he peeved once again.

"Said the master of hunting"

"Glad you admit it"

"Alright, you pimp, prove me" she challenged.

"Let me up, then"

"I will"

"Come on"

"How do I know you won't run away like a coward?"

"Try me"

"Maybe I will"

"I'm waiting"

"Fine"

"Good"

"I'll let you up"

"Go ahead"

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

Both lions felt the heat while fighting, but it wasn't until a few moments later when they realised what it meant. Sarafina didn't know how it happened, but it did, and now she was reconsidering her life. With a lion, who she didn't know, not even his name, by her side, gasping for air after a passionate evening, she thought it was the best time to do it.

"Nobody must know this" she said, more to herself than to him.

"Agree" the lion nodded, and exhaled. He was on his feet and saw the sun touching the line that separated sky and land. "I think it's time to go back home" he thought aloud.

"Agree" Sarafina nodded and cleared her throat. She got up and was about to go to Pride Rock as fast as she could when she saw the lion was going the same direction. She frowned. "Are we going through this again?"

"What?" he asked, confused.

"I said I was going home"

"So I am"

"I am going to Pride Rock" Sarafina explained. Maybe if he knew she was part of the King's pride, he would leave her alone once and for all.

"Oh, you don't say! I was going there too!" And he laughed, while she looked at him with wide and perplexed eyes. "Jeez, in the end, all this brawl for nothing, ha ha ha ha!"

"Wait, you're going to Pride Rock?" she asked, more than confused. "Who are you?"

Before the lion could answer, a voice in the distance did it for him: "Kuvutia!" and it called the attention of the two. Sarafina's heart hammered her chest and ribs without any misery, and she felt about to faint, when she saw Sarabi and another lioness coming to them. The lioness wasn't important, though she'd swear her face rang a bell; maybe if her vision wasn't so blurry, she could access to her storehouse of memories and put a name to that familiar face.

She felt a breeze on her right, and when she turned around, saw it was just the lion – now, she knew, Kuvutia – that had run to nuzzle the companion of her friend. Sarabi looked at them up and down, and Sarafina couldn't tell if she was upset or angry.

"We were worried about you two" Akili said, with a calm and tender tone.

"Nothing's wrong. Soraya and I bumped into each other while trying to hunt" Kuvutia explained.

"You'd mean Sarafina" the Queen said, with a cocked eyebrow.

"That, that…" the lion nodded with vehemence. Then, he smiled widely and proceeded to hug Sarabi, who was caught off guard. "Sarabi, long time without knowing about you! I've missed you!"

Sarabi forced a laugh and clapped a paw on his back. "Yes… I missed you all too" her eyes got fixed on her friend, and, worried, asked. "Sarafina, are you feeling alright?"

"Hm?" the named lioness looked at the Queen, coming abruptly back to the real world. "Yes, yes, I am fine…"

"You sure? You're turning pale!" Sarabi pointed out.

"Maybe she's just starving, just like me" Kuvutia commented.

"In that case, let's go home and eat. It's rude to make others wait for you when it's time to eat" said Akili with a giggle at the end.

"You go ahead" said Sarabi, approaching her friend. When the couple were a few metres away, and she saw they were too focus on their conversation to even listen to them, she talked. "Can you believe my sister?" she whispered.

"Hm? Your sister?" Oh, yes, now she remembered. A bad memory came to her mind, and that was the last thing she needed right then.

"Yes. Akili, my oldest sister" Sarabi explained, wrinkling her snout. "She's going to marry him. Kuvutia. The lion I had a crush on when we were little" Sarabi tried to contain her tone. "She knew him just for me, because he didn't know about her existence back then"

Oh, nice, she just hadn't had a moment of passion with a lion she would have to live with the next days, but he also was the crush of her best friend, aka the Queen of the kingdom she lived thanks to mercy. _You just outdid yourself this time, Sarafina!_

"Well… Maybe they saw they had a lot in common" Sarafina tried to act natural, because Sarabi was good at seeing other animals' strange behaviour and could reveal their deepest secrets just with one look at their eyes.

"Oh, I have no doubts about that. They are backstabbers and nit-picking. You know the saying: 'birds of a feather flock together'" she shook her head. "Something fishy is going on here, I know"

"Maybe he changed…" Sarafina said with a timid voice.

Sarabi just laughed a bit. "Fina, you always think so good about everyone" she said with tenderness.

"Yes, that's me" she said laughing a bit. "Don't worry, Sarabi, people change"

"Yes, but, normally, it's for the worse" the Queen shook her head once again and sighed. "Maybe I'm just too stressed for all the things that had been happening" she looked at her friend and, again, got worried. "Fina, are you sure you're feeling fine?"

"Yes, I'm… I'm just hungry" and she thanked in her mind that Kuvutia's careless attitude made the perfect excuse for her.

"Oh, let's get going, then. I'm sure Mufasa is already there" Sarabi titled her head and narrowed her eyes. No, she didn't believe her. And Sarafina was already thinking up a plan to go to sleep as soon as she ended eating, so that way Sarabi wouldn't be able to interrogate her. "If something is wrong, Fina, you know you can…"

"I'm alright" she interrupted, more aggressive than she wanted. Clearing her throat, added: "Really, Sarabi, it's just that I'm upset because I couldn't hunt that zebra down" and, deep inside, she was.

"Oh, don't worry!" Sarabi seemed a bit satisfied now that she had a proper answer by her strange behaviour. "Zira hunted one for us…"

And Sarafina was happy. Zira helped them to have food tonight. Maybe, if things kept going that way, the other lionesses would accept her more easily. "That is fantastic!"

"By the way… Have you seen her? She left first but wasn't at Pride Rock"

"No, I haven't seen her… But I'm sure she is only revisiting the places I showed her earlier" she added rapidly when she saw the suspicious look in her friend's rubies.

Sarabi sighed. "I hope she fits in soon…"

"She will, she only needs time. Just like I did" Sarafina smiled sadder than she intended, but memories always had the ease to squeeze her heart, and she hated that habit, especially when it happened in front of other animals.

The Queen noticed her melancholy and cleared her throat: "Well, we better hurry if you are that hungry"

And Sarafina saw a wee smile of comprehension and acceptance in her face that made her heart lighter. Yes, time would be the answer. Time was powerful: it can heal wounds and put everybody in their respective places, and Sarafina always trusted Time more than anything.

* * *

 **More than 7k views, thank you all very much, I couldn't believe it!**

 **I'm taking inspiration from Stephen King's writing, like, he tells the stories of the character stopping the current story, but you barely notice it because it gives you information and help to understand the character better. I hope I'm improving a bit in my writing (especially with this one as English is not my native language LOL)**

 **Dragons-Twilight1992: Thank you!**

 **All Hail King Scar: Yay! Hope I can write her well, she's so different in this story than in the Spanish one I'm writing XD! I hoped to have done than reaction well too. If I were him, I'd have been very mad! And, yes, Scar was lucky he didn't discover his original plan. Thank you for reading!**

 **Joseph94: La positividad es lo último que se pierde XD. ¡Muchas gracias!**

 **Guest: Thanks! Hope you like it!**

 **Thanks to all who review, favorite and/or follow, it means a lot.**


	15. Approach

**Chapter 15:**

" _ **Approach"**_

Utamu only left her lands once, when her whole family had to be present on the presentation of Prince Simba. She remembered how excited she had felt. Her father didn't share her emotion, but smiled at her a few times; that smile that said, 'she's so innocent, she doesn't know why she's happy, but just feels it and expresses it…'. It wasn't a happy nor a sad smile, something in between, something she didn't know what meant but there was other something that prevented her from asking. Her mother had that expression as well, but, maybe because of her cold temper, she was better at disguised it as a normal smile. But eyes cannot be faked, one can't press a button on the nape and fake a shine of joy; her mother tried, though. Utamu was curious, but never asked.

She was clear about one thing: if that day, the day of the presentation someone had come to her and told she was going to return to the Pridelands, and even stay there for an indefinite period of time, she would have been the happiest cheetah of her whole pack. Don't misunderstand her, Utamu was happy at home, she loved her parents, but inside of her chest beat the heart of an adventurer. New places, new sensations, new people… She wanted to see and feel all that. _All_. And yet, when she was told by her mother that she would have to leave – without any of them to make things worse – she just felt sad, lost and alone. Because all her adventures were exciting when they were inside her head; she loved to dream about herself, as an adult or young adult, living her life alone, without more responsibilities than breathe and learn all she could about the world around her. But those were dreams. And, though some people would disagree, she had to admit dreaming was better than living: you are the boss in your head. If you wanted to go to Europe, you would be there; if you wanted to ride ostriches, you could; if you wanted to climb the highest mountain, you could… And you would never be hurt, by anything and, most importantly, by anybody.

She dreamed about knowing new animals, about making friends who were not only cheetahs and learn about them and their way of living. She _dreamed_. And dreaming was all she wanted. Dreams were only scary when you wanted them to be. Reality was way worse: in the real word, there were no princesses who rebel against the ancient laws, there were no heroes who would speak for the most disadvantaged, there were no good animals who would come just in time to rescue the bullied and oppressed. She learnt it when she saw Izulu crying her eyes out, broken for the loss of her brother, aka, the only family she had left. In her dreams, nobody died. In the real world, they did. Every day, each day, each minute. It could be a lion against another lion, fighting over territory; it could be a mommy gazelle who was grazing with her children and decided to sacrifice herself to save their lives; it could be a cheetah, a good cheetah, who was only hunting at the wrong place, at the wrong time. It could be the brother of a cheetah too timid to go through life on her own without the protection and the advices of the only fatherly figure she had left. Death was brutal and unpredictable, but also egalitarian, and maybe because of that, it was so feared. That day, a cheetah died, but it could have been an antelope, a zebra, a bird, a hyena trespassing or the King watching the borders, accomplishing with his duty of maintaining the peace.

Death snatched Kwenja from everybody, and it helped her to see that happy endings did not exist. Because if they existed, the King's shaman could have been able to heal him, Kwenja could have been able to come back home, hug his sister and be stronger thanks to the experience. But that didn't happen. And it was then when Utamu realised that she preferred to be inside her head, dreaming about her adventures, instead of going out, looking for them. When she remembered Izulu crying or in silence in a corner, apart from everybody else, she thought about what would their parents feel if she disappeared and something bad happened to her. She didn't want to make anyone suffer, less someone she cared about. And so, she made the decision of be what she was born to be: the next leader of her pack. And she would listen to every word her mother would tell her, and she would learn every lesson his father would teach her. She would treasure them.

But Life was also unpredictable, and liked to play with the living before Death would replace it in the matter. Her mother talked to her in private, and when she heard the news she wanted to scream, to make a fuss, to complain about how unfair all that was. And she wanted to cry, and tell her parents they were the worst for taking her away from them. But she couldn't because that wasn't the truth. She couldn't because she saw her parents wanted that less than herself. And she felt that it was her turn to act older, and be mature. So, she only raised her chin, as she had seen her mother doing when she had to make an important decision, and nodded. And there was a brief pause when Mkali looked at her, her only daughter, her world and whole life, and Utamu could swear she saw her eyes watering. She wasn't able to see tears, because Mkali hugged her tightly. And her father watching from behind. Jelani was colder when it came to feelings, though he had a hot temper. And when Utamu felt her father hugging her right after, and heard him whispering in her ear a sincere 'I love you', she had to swallow and close her eyes tightly to prevent the crying.

Today, she still had to, each time the memory decided to make a visit. It liked to visit her while she was eating, drinking, waking up or dreaming. Because the worst part of all that was that she couldn't even escape from reality and locked herself up in her mind, because the last images of her parents, and the warm feeling of their hugs, invaded all. And it made her to want to cry, and she didn't want to cry. If she cried, she would be weak, and, as future leader, she had to show she was brave and strong. The situation needed it. Her parents needed it.

Today she was told she had to go out the den. Well, not with those specific words, but she was good at reading people's eyes. And that afternoon, when the lionesses were preparing for going to hunt, Sarabi had gone to her and told her the cubs were going with Scar, the King's brother. She hadn't seen Scar. Ever. She had heard of him. Back at home, but just as "the scarred lion", "the skinny lion" or, simply, "that freak lion the King has as a brother". And Utamu, with her great imagination, thought about a scary, slender lion with sharp teeth and claws, with sparkling eyes that watch you while you sleep, and is prepared to go and sink his teeth into your neck.

When she arrived at the kingdom, her mental image didn't get better. The lionesses were even more ruthless. And Utamu would have sworn, the pride wasn't afraid of Scar as a monster, they were uncomfortable with his presence and the simple mention of his name. Or, Utamu thought, his alias, because, what kind of parent would name their son 'Scar?' They talked about him as a phantom, a being you know it existed, but tried to be as far as possible, because you don't know how it would react. Was Scar something like that? A creature you want to get close to, something that catch your attention, something you want to know more about, but once you are close in a prudent distance, you feel that you're not welcome, that you must be careful, not because he could harm you, but what is inside his mind, what is buried under a surface of indifference, could break you the same way he was broken?

Was a monster created or born?

Utamu didn't know, and thought she didn't want to, but did as Sarabi told her, and went with the rest of the cubs to where Scar lived. A small yet comfortable den, kilometres away from the royal den. When Utamu arrived, she saw Pride Rock could be seen from there, in all its majesty. Sarabi left after informing her brother-in-law that they must be back before the sun was hidden. Scar didn't bother in answering. A nod was all the Queen received, and, rolling her eyes, left.

And when the little cheetah saw that even the Queen felt that discomfort as well, she started to worry.

Simba was the first one who greeted his uncle, and Utamu, hearing such a happy tone, decided to take a look. And she was surprised. There was nothing in Scar that made her scared, though he was trying to get Simba off his paw with weary expression. On the contrary, she felt curious, and wanted to know everything about him, and, for the first time since she arrived, she felt like fitting in. And something occurred to her, when she saw the other cubs playing, ignoring her existence: Scar, despite being a lion, was an outcast, just like her. He didn't fit in there, wasn't his place. It was like having a bouquet of red roses and, then, seeing an amaryllis(1). It could be pretty, and it could be as red as the roses, it could seem like one of them if you look at it too rapidly. But it wasn't its place.

And Utamu thought maybe because of this the others were uncomfortable. She longed for knowing new animals and cultures, but when reality hit her and saw maybe not all of them would be harmless and good, she decided to abandon those fantasies and live left in peace in her home, where she knew everyone and everything. If someone would have come to invade her world, she would've been uncomfortable as well, and mad, even. Unordinary things and people were not welcome near adults, because it could break their world, maybe an imperfect and messy world, but their world. Adults preferred to resign themselves living a life they didn't like instead of trying to change it.

Utamu felt Scar was all that.

He was the difference, the change, the mystery, the strange sense of humour, the new view, the secret untold, the enigma written centuries ago that nobody wanted to resolve, afraid its answer would be worse than the unknown. That was the way adults lived, but… she wasn't an adult. She wanted to act mature due to the situation her family was living but the spirit of a young and curious adventurer was still living within her. And refused to leave, at least, not yet. Maybe when she had wrinkles under her eyes, her back hurt and had cubs on her own she could torment with the famous sentence: "When I was your age…!" Maybe then, yes, but not today. Today she was a cub, playful and optimistic, with all her life waiting ahead a long road. Today she wanted to ask, she wanted to open Pandora's Box.

"Aren't you going to play with the rest?"

The voice sounded rough, and Utamu jumped, not expecting him to be the first one to start the conversation. And when she saw those two sharp emeralds looking directly at her, she felt the fire burning under the icy surface, felt the screams silenced by a controlled and sophisticated tone, and felt how much all of them were bothering him. She saw the longing to be alone, though he was sick of the solitude. Sick and used to.

The little cheetah found enough strengths to shook her head. She lost her voice, or, at least, felt that if she dared to talk it would sound broken, and that was the last thing she wanted. And she lost it when she saw him looking, when she fixed her glare in the two green orbs inspecting her, from up to down. Because there was such a shadow in those eyes, a grey cloud that clouded all rational judgment, a grey cloud full of thunders, and each thunder was born due to the whippings the other animals around him had given him throughout his whole life. And she felt so much sadness seeing that, that she lost her voice, she remembered how alone she was there, how little she was in comparison with the great and noble lions. And she just wanted to run away and cry.

"I don't know how to play their games" she managed to whisper, and inhaled to not cry in front of him. Or anyone.

Scar cocked an eyebrow. "You don't know how to play tag?" The question may have sounded innocent, but Utamu knew Scar had understood what she meant: _I can't play tag with them, I do not belong here_. "What are you doing here? Sarabi haven't told me anything about you visiting the kingdom"

 _Why would she? She wants to ignore my presence here as much as the cubs…_ Utamu thought, feeling anger running through her veins. She felt the heat of that anger coming up her cheeks, tinting them of scarlet red. "My parents wanted me to be here for a few days, so I can be safe" she explained, shrugging so it seemed as if she didn't mind. But, in the next days to come, Utamu would see how Scar was as good at reading people as she was. Even better, because he was older.

"When did you come?"

"This morning"

"Ah, well, then it's normal you haven't socialized much with the rest" Utamu knew Scar had something more on the tip of his tongue, but decided to not keep going. Utamu knew what he wanted to say, though: _But I doubt you would have been able to do so, as you're a stranger here_.

And she felt so hurt by that, especially because that lion didn't have the guts to tell her directly, that she did it for him, thinking that way, maybe, it would hurt less. "I doubt if I spend here the rest of my life I would be friend with anybody in here…" She was wrong, it hurt even more.

There was a brief moment of silence. She had left Scar speechless, and if she knew… Oh, if she knew the great deed she had just done! If the Queen, the King and his subjects had been there, seeing and listening, they would have clapped and gasped due to the surprise. Utamu, as the new arrival, didn't know how difficult it was to leave Scar without something to say.

"I suppose you're not having the best time of your life, then?" he asked, and took a sit.

Utamu sat down as well. And felt that, with Scar, there were no walls or steps to climb; talking to him was like talking to an old and good friend, the one who listen without judging and knew exactly what to say to make you feel better. And, when she looked up, she understood why. The clouds of his eyes were removing from his eyes slowly. Scar felt what she felt when she saw him: that they were the same, they were outcasts.

"I just want to go home" she admitted.

"An adventurer like you?" She looked at him perplexed, and he let out a deep laugh that sounded more like a growl. "I saw you the day my nephew was going to be presented to the kingdom" he explained. "You were euphoric, jumping, laughing… Just like my nephew acts when he discovers some new place" And Utamu heard herself laughing. It was a such a sincere laugh, it made her feel better. "You know, when I arrived at the kingdom, I passed through the same"

The little cheetah cocked an eyebrow: "But I thought you were the King's brother"

"I am… More or less" there was a bitter tone, one that clearly said, 'it is not the right moment to bring up my pompous brother or there will be problems around here'. So, Utamu decided to be careful with the mention of Mufasa. "The case is… I was born in another land, but my mother and I had to leave when other male with another pride appeared and fought against my father over the territory"

"That's rude" she said innocently.

"Yes, you can see it that way. My father told my mother and I to run away, and she did so. Though, I must say, unwillingly. We arrived at the Pridelands and the King of that time let us stay" Utamu thought about asking if that king was King Ahadi, despite knowing the answer, but then she remembered how Scar had hated the mention of King Mufasa, and decided to be quiet. "My mother and he had Mufasa a few months later"

"So… He is only half brother of yours?" she asked, a bit confused. She would have to ask her mother about these cases when she returned home.

"Yes"

"And when did you start to feel like you belong here?" She thought she knew the answer, but wanted to ask, anyway.

"Well, when I know it, I will tell you" Scar responded sarcastically.

"Great…" the cheetah said under her breath, sadden. She got up abruptly and informed, in a whisper. "Can I go to drink some water?"

"Go ahead" the lion said, waving a paw, uninterested.

* * *

Simba had been beaten at tagging three times in a row. He hated to lose – and with Tama complaining and pointing out that he was going to be left out the game if he didn't take it seriously, that sensation was even worse – but he hated to feel insecure more.

He hadn't told his friends. The idea of confessing he was feeling nervous and anxious appeared in his mind as briefly as the flash that had to come before the thunder. He had casted that idea aside with a rapid shake of his head. He couldn't tell. He was the one who was told this kind of things. Nala trusted him enough to confess him she was afraid of the dark. She hadn't told her mother because she thought Sarafina would laugh at her, but she trusted him to tell him she couldn't close her eyes because she thought some monster would come to take her away from her mother. Simba slept with her the next weeks, and there were nights when he still welcomed her by his side. It was his idea to wait until the adults were asleep and then act. And they were lucky Simba was used to wake up first, to tell her friend to come back by her mother's side before his father woke up.

That happened when they were both a couple of months old, and Simba could've bet it was then when Nala and him consolidated their good friendship.

The second one who came to him was Tojo. The poor cub was afraid of his own shadow, and, even if he could be a bit exasperating at times, Simba was there for him when he got stuck in that tree. He had climbed it due to a bet of a lion cub of the other pride, the one Kali ruled. Simba felt chills going down his spine. How much he hated Kali, he was grumpy and unpleasant… The fact was that Tojo had thanked him a million of times for not telling his mother, because Diku was a bag of nerves, and if she found out her son spent a whole afternoon on a tree, she would have lost it. Completely. But Simba didn't tell, and he made sure the others did the same. And since then Tojo trusted him as well. Damn, he even let him be in his team, letting Tama and Nala win over and over between his distractions and Tojo's limping.

The last one was Tama, even if she would never admit it, and hated to remember it. Simba hadn't told anyone she was the one who ate Naanda's portion. Simba took the blame, saying he thought it was his, and though his parents hadn't believed him completely, Mufasa only told him he had to ask before doing such things because he had to learn to coexist, especially as the heir of the throne. And, as such, Naanda didn't scream at him, though she wanted to, she really wanted to.

The case was that everybody trusted him, and because of the actions that made him gain their trust, they considered him their leader. Not because he was a Prince, but because his actions, and Simba felt great knowing it was because of that. Nobody had named him leader, but everybody felt it that way. Even Tama! When they had to face a trouble, all the pair of eyes fell upon him. Simba wasn't going to lie, he liked to feel the power, to know people count on him, to be in charge. But there were days when he felt it was too much. He felt too much pressure being the one who had to come up with an idea.

And he had been feeling that these days.

Since he had had that dream about his father being attacked, and was informed the next morning that attack really happened, Simba felt his perfect and peaceful world staggering. And, despite what everybody around him thought, he liked the stability. Improvising was great, of course; but he liked to feel secure and stable in his daily life. And he had lost it. And he was fuming mad because nobody gave him answers, nobody explained why he had to feel this way, why he had to overthink things at such a young age, why he had to act as if it was normal that his father hadn't talked to him in all these days, why he had to act as if it didn't affect him that his father and he didn't spend time anymore. No more talking at the top of Pride Rock, no more Zazu's morning reports, no more lessons… No more nothing. For Heaven's sake, he wasn't even explained why he had to coexist with a cheetah he knew nothing about.

The cheetah. He was losing the game because he was too focus on the cheetah. The cheetah he had to welcome because his mother told him so (his father hadn't put a paw near the den where he and his friends had to spend the last days, as if they were punished!); the cheetah, daughter of one of the two animals that made his father return home angry (the other animal being, of course, Kali); the cheetah who was now talking with his uncle Scar, as if they've known each other since forever.

Maybe that was the last straw, the sign he needed to put two and two together. His parents – and the rest of the pride, damn it! – hated the cheetahs. They only tolerate them. Mufasa had taught him he had to respect all species, but didn't seem to follow his own advice very well when cheetahs were in the middle. The story Rafiki told them was all he needed to understand why. Were they still angry for something that happen so long ago? Were they going to judge all lions for the sins of a few? Were they going to put his father under a lot more of pressure when all that was happening? Did he have to put up with one of their kind, after all that? No, thank you. His friends seemed to opine the same. Maybe because their mothers had told them to be careful around the cheetah. Sarabi, being the Queen, acted more politically correct, and told him he had to be nice towards her because she was passing a tough time.

Well, so was he! And nobody seemed to give him a break! Or a minute with his father! He was really missing him, and he wanted his mother to be more direct to him, he wanted her to tell him what was happening. He wanted answers! He wanted things to be as they were a couple of weeks ago! Was he asking for too much?

"Wow, look out!" he heard Tama complaining.

Simba hadn't noticed how much his head was hurting until he stopped frowning. Another reason to be in a mad mood for the rest of the day.

"She really lives up to her species!" Nala commented, in shock.

Simba followed her glare, seeing the cheetah running as fast as they should've expected from her species, to the watering hole. Though he found it impressive, he didn't show it.

"I bet if she plays with us, she would beat us all" said Tojo, limping to his side.

The girls went to them as well. Tama rolled her eyes. "Being fast doesn't imply having a great sight. She would have to find us first"

"Actually, cheetahs are known not only for their incredibly speed, but for their astonishing sight as well" Simba recognised his uncle's voice from behind.

"Really?" asked Nala, totally amazed.

Scar nodded. "I'm sure she would be a great part of some of your team"

"Oh, I don't think she would like to play with us" said Simba without thinking.

"How do you know? Did she tell you?"

"Well, she is always alone in a corner, so we thought she wasn't very playful" Nala tried to explain while sounding polite, as her mother taught her.

"Ah, so you just _imagined_ it" his uncle emphasized. Simba and his friend bowed their heads. Something in Scar's tone made them feel terrible bad. "I remember that excuse…"

"Well, if she wants to play, she just has to say so" Tama defended their actions, raising her chin in a defensive manner.

"Has it crossed your minds that maybe she's shy and doesn't know how to come to you?" was the rapid answer the dark lion gave the proudful cub.

Tama bowed her head once more. "Uh… No. Not actually"

"Listen, I know this story. You think everybody will come to you, but let me tell you, life is not like that. There are animals shier than you that will need a little push" Scar's tone was turning harsher, and Simba didn't like it a bit. He felt a strange weight upon his shoulders. With the passage of time, Simba would learn, once maturity came to him, that weight was called 'guilt'. "Now, I know you are not the ones to blame. Something tells me your mothers have something to do with this…" Oh, how right he was. Simba would never stop being amazed by his uncle's intelligence. "…And, though I can understand you all are very nervous, let's act as logical beings. Utamu is not the one to blame, she's a cub just like you. I am not asking you for being friends forever, but respect is a nice thing to have with everybody"

"Alright…" the four of them said in unison.

"Good. Now, let me rest a bit before I'd have to take you home"

Without wanting to hear an answer on their part, his uncle turned around, prepared to go back to his den. Simba heard his friends whispering, but didn't pay them any attention. Without thinking, he ran to his uncle.

"Uncle Scar, wait!" There was a weight inside his chest now, as well, and he thought he knew how to get rid of it.

He heard his uncle sighing in frustration. "What, Simba?"

"I have to tell you something" he started, timider than he actually was. A thing that called Scar's attention quite quick.

"Go ahead"

"I… I think I helped Utamu to be out the group" he admitted.

"You?" It wasn't accusatory, but a surprised tone. Simba didn't know which one he would have preferred. "My, Simba I wasn't expecting you to…"

"I know… But… Mom and the rest of lionesses are always saying such bad things about cheetahs, and things are so strange right now…" he had started to hyperventilate, and felt the need to cry. Before he could contain himself, he felt tears falling down his cheeks. "I'm sorry. I just want things to be back to normal. I'm sorry"

He heard Scar sighing again. It passed a moment before he felt his uncle clapping a paw on his back. Knowing how cold his uncle was, Simba knew this was the best act of comfort he would ever receive from Scar.

"Don't cry, Simba, it wasn't a big deal"

"But, what you said…"

"I'm trying to let you understand" Scar interrupted with a growl that made him flinch. Looking up, he saw his uncle passing a paw through his face. "I've had a fight with your father because a similar thing, maybe I was acting unfair with you as well"

"Why did you fight?" The crying was more relaxed and controlled now.

"For a similar thing" Scar repeated. And Simba understood he wasn't going to be given an answer. _Again_. "Wish your father acted like you, to be honest" he muttered under his breath.

"What?" Simba asked.

"Nothing" Scar cleared his throat. "Now, go play with your friends. You still have time for a game more before you will have to go back home" And he turned around.

"Thank you, uncle Scar!" Simba thanked with sincerity.

While he was going back to his friends – and saw Utamu returning, as well – Simba thought that there would be no day when his uncle would not surprise him.

* * *

"You're good at cubs"

The word 'exhausted' wasn't good enough to define how he was feeling. The outburst of Mufasa and his _cubsitting_ duties only made everything worse. Scar hadn't had time to go back to the Elephant Graveyard. He knew Shenzi wouldn't let anything happen to Ujinga unless he told her otherwise, but he didn't trust the rest of hyenas. They were starting to get out of control as hunger brought the worse of them. _If things keep going this way, everything will be a disaster_ he thought, stopping right in front of the entrance of his den, as if there were a barrier which kept him there; in the deeps of his brain, the image of an innocent and childish game appeared, something Scar had seen lots of cubs – from his generation and Simba's – playing plenty of times: one of the cubs entered a small place – sometimes an actual den – and invented a password, if someone got it right, they could enter with him and then it would be their turn to make up a new password. It was absurd and dull. He never played and was never interested in doing so. _I despise guessing games_ , he had told his brother countless times, and he would repeat that mantra to his nephew a few months later.

But now, as a Machiavellian game the world had prepared just for him, he was unable to enter his own den, as if there was a password, a word, an action he had to think about if he wanted to enter first.

Could this day go any worse?

He didn't know and saw he wasn't going to dedicate a second of his time thinking of the millions of possibilities the world might had to destroy his already awful day. His brain was too focus about what would happen if the hyenas knew they would have to let Ujinga in a bit longer than they had guessed. Shenzi could control them, he knew, but she was so angry because of what happened with Ukaidi, that Scar didn't trust her enough to be cool right now. She wanted revenge, and though he was very familiar with that feeling, Scar seemed more patient than his old friend, who had a whole pack of angry and hungry hyenas under her leadership. _If things keep going this way…_ he thought once again, still at the entrance of the cave. _If things keep going this way, they will act without informing._ Again, a shiver went down his spine and he felt his blood turning cold. _If they decide they do not want to wait any longer, Mufasa could be…_

 _Scratch._ He unsheathed his claws, adorning the rock beneath him with curved greyish lines. No. No _Mufasa_ , _he_. _He_ could be damaged, _he_ would be in trouble if the hyenas decided to act on their own, without his consent.

 _Where did that came from?_ He wondered, when he felt his old wound burning. Rapidly, he passed a paw through the left side of his face. _That stupid monkey…_ he cursed, baring his teeth. _He made me put that stinky gooey on my face for nothing_. Oh, Heavens, how much he was hating this day… And the night was going to be a lot worse if he had to go to Rafiki and explain to him that he needed something more for his wound. No, he wasn't going to explain anything. He was going to _demand_ it. He wasn't born to give explanations to anyone.

And, among turbulent thoughts and curses, he heard a voice. A female voice. Not one he was familiarized with. _You're good at cubs_. The words weren't something he would hear from some of those useless lionesses his brother had to feed him and his tot. And when he turned around to see the owner of the voice, he felt as if someone had pushed him, almost making him lose his balance. The lioness in front of him was brawny yet skinny, with two eyes that burnt like fire itself. She wanted to pretend kindness, but that fire gave her away. It possessed the rage of someone who lived all their life under someone's paw (a familiar, maybe? When it was a familiar, the pain was deeper) and now wanted to spend the rest of their life trampling the rest of living beings around them, as a useless revenge for the received pain.

Unfair? Yes. But not as much as the experience that obligated them to be like that. And Scar knew what he was talking about.

So, meanwhile the Queen had felt afraid and unsure – a thing Sarabi would never admit, to anyone, not even her husband – and the King had felt challenged, Scar felt attracted. Just as a moth was attracted to the light. They know they would be hurt, but they just had to go, they had to see how far they could go. And that was something Scar loved to do. More than guessing stupid passwords.

"Is some of them yours?" the lioness asked again, and this time, her husky voice felt like a déjà vu. The hoarse voice of which screams were as terrifying as the ones coming from a clear voice that can pronounce all the syllables clearly. Where had he heard that kind of voice before?

"I am not interested in cubs" was the simple answer he gave. And her red eyes shone with a playful gleam. Not a funny one, the same playful gleam the predator had when he had leapt on his prey and now wanted to play with it before savouring it.

"Funny way to show it" she replied, looking briefly at the playing and laughing forms of the cubs. Her eyes were on his nephew most of the time.

"Yes, that is what happens when you have cubs just for the heat of the moment and then you don't know what to do with them" Cutting remark directly to his dear brother… Of which he wasn't worried about, not a doubt about it.

For his surprise – and for hers, as well – the lioness laughed. And, for a moment, the defensive posture disappeared. "Sarafina warned me about your _peculiar_ sense of humour"

"Peculiar is not a word used in good terms around here. I guess you are not familiarized with that knowledge"

"If you want to know if I'm new or your memory is starting to lose skills before the old age, let me calm you down. I arrived here this morning"

"I wasn't worried about that. I just like to know how far someone can go with a lie"

"So, you're calling me a liar?" She wasn't offended, she was playing. And Scar found himself enjoying the game. It was easier enjoying a game when the two parts speak the same language.

"Nothing personal. I'm this mistrustful with everybody"

A small laugh. "I was aware of your _peculiar_ nature, as well"

"Sarafina?"

"The other lionesses gossiping" she shrugged.

"Odd" Scar sarcastically said.

"I hate it. Gossiping. It makes us all females look like scandalmongers with no life"

Gosh, who was he remembering when he saw her defiant position, when he heard her hoarse, still yet powerful voice? Scar had it in the tip of his tongue…

"My name's Zira, by the way" she introduced herself, approaching a few steps. "Maybe you were right at doubting me. All this excessive liberty without giving you my name"

"Scar" he simply replied.

"Well, _Scar_ , I just ceded my prey to the happy pride back there" She pointed to Pride Rock with her head, not turning around. "But I haven't eaten one bite"

"Do not expect them to share food openly. High standing is different" _Different, not better_.

"I am more of hunting during night" she confessed. "I like it better, and I'm not seeing myself changing my schedule for a bunch of beings who wanted to kick me out as soon as they spotted me" Another feeling of déjà vu, but this time Scar knew what it was about. "I'm guessing you're on the same opinion?"

"You guessed right" he said, paying more attention to the sun hiding behind the horizon at Zira's back. "But I hunt alone" he cut off before the lioness had any time to keep talking. And turned around. "And now, if you excuse me, I have to take the cubs to their mothers"

And descended to the ground, leaving the perplexed lioness behind. Not a last glare or word of goodbye. No. He had had his moment of disconnection and his mind was clear again. The scar was hurting like mad and he didn't want a headache as well. No, thank you. He had had fun but now was bored. And so, he left.

"I can take them back" Zira proposed, walking behind him, but at a prudent distance.

Oh, well, maybe she wasn't just a talkative burden, after all. "Thank you" was all he said when he turned his head to look at her. Then, he started walking again, this time, in the opposite direction. The scar was starting to beat to the rhythm of his heart.

He heard Zira telling the news to the cubs, who didn't have the guts to contradict her, though the fun disappeared almost immediately. And Scar felt that Zira's good humour as well. He smiled. If she kept thinking she could play that game with him, she was wrong. But he wasn't going to tell her. Let her discover this by herself. Let's have some fun on this boring kingdom.

 _But after my left side stops bothering me!_

* * *

Mufasa had left the familiar den three hours after the whole pride was asleep. He saw his son falling into Morpheus' arms first, as well as his friends, all too exhausted due to a whole afternoon of playing. Little Utamu imitated them. She was sleeping next to Simba, who insisted to sleep with her that night. Nor Sarabi or him say something about it. When he heard his Queen snoring quietly beside him, Mufasa knew it was the proper time to look. His parents in law were sleeping a few metres away. Leo with his mouth wide open and a bit of saliva going down his chin while he snored in his mate's ear, who was more than used to that annoying noise. Kuvutia and Akili were sleeping too close to each other, as the two lovebirds they were. _Let's hope she keeps being this way for a long time_ , Mufasa had whispered to Sarabi when he saw how calm and smiley Akili had acted during dinner. Sarabi giggled, knowing he was absolutely right.

His eyes stopped at Sarafina's form. The cream pelt lioness was tossing and turning, moaning a bit in her sleep. Another victim of nightmares? Mufasa hoped this wasn't going to be an epidemy. When the blue-eyed lioness raised her paw, and felt her daughter below it, she sighed and stopped moving.

Now.

Mufasa exited the place where he had had his most beautiful and innocent dreams as a cub, and the most terrifying and disturbing nightmares now as an adult. He thought about his father – who was part of this horrible and oneiric experience – shaking his head in disapproval. _Look at you,_ he would say _, running away from a dream. A dream! Something unreal! You, coward bastard… If you can't face the world your mind has created, how do you expect to protect the kingdom you inherited?_

Mufasa shook his head and stopped abruptly on his tracks. He didn't know what he hated more: that his father was right or that he was thinking an imaginary voice was right. But, was it imaginary? Ahadi's voice had been living inside his mind since so long Mufasa didn't remember a time when his brain had his own voice. And now, that dark and deep voice was invading the world of the dreams. The only place Mufasa had found a bit of peace since Uru and Taka Scar left. True, maybe some nights he was visited by horrific images of his mother and brother, but they were never as brutal as these ones.

The King looked upon his shoulder. He hadn't realised he had walked so much until he saw the small form of Pride Rock getting lost in the distance. The sky was covered by grey and thick clouds, and Mufasa, seeing not even the Kings wanted to see him escape from something unreal, felt smaller than ever. But what else could he do when he woke up bathed in sweat and hyperventilating, and then saw the image of the deceased Kwenja around the den, not only in his dreams but in the reality? How was he supposed to act when he saw the phantom of a cheetah with dark eyes? Was anything else he should feel when he felt those two dark orbs wanted to devour and throw him into a complete darkness, apart from pure fear?

Now that he had breathed the clear and clean air of the night, Mufasa saw he was, indeed, stupid for running away like that. And he didn't want to think about the fact that the kingdom was under alert and he had left the pride unwatched. _Are you going to do something right someday?_ His father's voice pierced his mind again. _What am I going to do with you, Mufasa?_ He wondered, saddened. _What am I going to do with you…?_

"I don't know" he answered to no one in particular, and was glad there was nobody around him for seeing him talking alone like a lunatic. "I don't know what to do with me either"

It was the phrase of his cubhood. That one and 'You're worrying me, Mufasa', 'What happened to you, Mufasa?', 'Mufasa, when are you going to grow up?' 'Mufasa, Mufasa, Mufasa…' Agh… If Mufasa had admitted in front of his brother that he, sometimes, hated his name, he would discover that Scar had the same opinion, and, finally, they would have something in common. Well, the reasons why they hated the name he was given were completely different, but they hated it with the same contained rage.

Mufasa stopped in his tracks when he saw the thick and enormous trunk that rose in front of him. Rafiki's tree seemed to climb, and, in his perspective, it felt as if it was touching the dark sky, as if its leaves were sweeping the clouds upon them. For a brief moment, the King really wanted the baobab to sweep those annoying clouds away.

He climbed slowly. Mufasa didn't want to admit it aloud, but he really wasn't in a rush to go back to Pride Rock. Not until the sunrise, at least. Maybe the sun would be hidden behind those clouds that refused to leave his kingdom, but at least there would be a bit of clarity, and his mind needed to know exactly what was around him.

He tripped over a branch that was thicker than he thought, and made an embarrassing entrance. His brain told him that was because his lack of sleep, that would take the worse and clumsier part of him soon; the irrational part of his brain told him that was the world tripping him up to mock him. Mufasa even imagined its sardonic voice saying: 'Oh, so you want to see what's around you? Take this!' Mufasa shook his head, trying to erase all illogical thoughts. Since he was brought to Rafiki because of his illness, he hadn't seen the baboon. His strange behaviour (stranger than usual, and that was something) made him doubt him. And Mufasa hated to doubt a loyal subject who had always been there to help and guide him in his time of need. But Mufasa wasn't stupid. He was the King and knew every inch of his lands and every inch of each subject as well. _Observe in silence, then consider who you can trust_. There was no day in his memory when he had doubted Rafiki, and if now he was feeling he had to be careful around him, then it meant something was off. If he couldn't trust Rafiki right now, when nightmares became something normal and common every night he wanted to fall asleep, then something was going wrong. Horrible wrong.

He looked forwards, surprised to see nobody there. The leaves were dancing with the wind around and upon him, and both brought to his nostrils the scent of the monkey and other individual. But, for the moment, he focused on the monkey.

"Rafiki?" he called, taking the liberty to enter. He scrutinized the place. The wall was painted with different colours, among the figures he could see a drawing of his son, and a bittersweet taste filled his mouth. "Rafiki" he called once again, moving his sight away. "Rafiki"

The sound of branches breaking and leaves moving made him turn his head to the left, and his rubies climbed slowly until he saw the part of the tree who was moving faster than the rest. The voice of the shaman came right after.

"I'm coming, Mufasa" and the King saw him jumping to his level. "Wasn't expecting you at these hours" he commented, clapping both hands to clean them for some liquid he couldn't distinguish in the night. "It's funny, you know? I was treating your brother right now"

 _Is this horrible day endless?_ Mufasa thought, wrinkling the snout, clearly upset. Why did it have to be his brother? And, speaking of the devil… Scar descended the same place where Rafiki jumped. When the two brothers looked at each other, the dark lion showed he didn't like the situation either.

Rafiki, as sensitive as he was, broke the ice, ignoring the tension between the two: "Did you want something, Mufasa?"

 _Oh, yes, I wanted to ask you about why I can't sleep like a normal lion for more than two hours in a row, why I dreamt about a stampede twice and why the sound of hooves pierce my ears. Oh, and tonight I dreamt about Kwenja beating me and almost stripping my jugular off. Isn't it funny? A cheetah beating a grown-up lion… Well, my father wasn't opining the same. By the way, I haven't stopped hearing his voice criticising every decision I make since he died… And I don't even need to be asleep to suffer him_. That what all he wanted to know. But it was easier to say it in his mind. He was planning to tell Rafiki, of course, but not in front of his brother. No. Not in a million of years in front of his brother.

Instead, he saw the opportunity to ask what was troubling his mind. And it was strange the idea had come back to him as a flashlight when he saw the scar of his brother, gleaming in the night. And Mufasa felt it wasn't because whatever Rafiki had put on it earlier.

"Why did the wild dogs declare us war?"

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence. Rafiki had tensed up, Scar was looking at him with a cocked and interrogative eyebrow. The question was direct, sharp, and the monkey was taking way too much to answer. If his question felt like an arrow to him, then Mufasa would have no moderation in making an interrogatory. With witnesses or without them. Scar could be there and watch all he wanted. But that was all Mufasa was going to let him do: observe and be quiet.

"Mufasa…" began to say Rafiki.

"You know it" the King interrupted. "Otherwise, you'd have answered already"

"You know why they are attacking your subjects" Scar intervened.

"Stay at the edge of this conversation" ordered Mufasa.

"You refused to hear one of the other part out this morning" Scar reminded him, narrowing his eyes. "You know why the attacks occurred"

"So does he" the King said, under his breath. And his attention was again on the shaman, who was alternating his gaze between the two. "Am I wrong?"

"No" the shaman simply replied.

"You told us you knew what kind of trick the animal the wild dogs were working with used" Mufasa continued, taking one step forwards. "But that wasn't everything you know, was it?"

"I am not changing teams, if that is what you're implying"

"Prove me" This time, Scar was looking seriously at Rafiki. Maybe the dark lion hated to accept he was right, but Scar was mistrustful by nature, and that could be used on his advantage this time. "What are you hiding from us?"

Rafiki let out a shaking and heavy sigh and passed a hand through his face. It was then when Mufasa noticed how old he really was. There were ages of experiences no one else in the kingdom could match, but wisdom came to a cost, and that cost was suffering, dark secrets nobody want to talk about or remember. Mufasa saw he had made a hazardous move by asking, but maintained himself with the head held high, waiting patiently. He could feel what was about to come wasn't going to be nice for any of them. He saw Scar turning to look directly at the monkey, interested on what he was going to answer.

Rafiki had taken one of his broken by halves coconuts, full of dark paint, when he started to talk: "Arranged marriages have been in our laws for generations. Maybe even before the kingdom had proper laws every heir learns about during his trainings"

Mufasa had tilted his head, slightly confused: "I don't see what that has to do with…" he began to say, looking, unconsciously, to his brother, who had done the same, and with the same expression.

"Ahadi also had to do as the Law says" Rafiki kept explaining, not paying attention to the interruptions. He had bathed his fingers in the dark paint. "Mohatu had arranged the marriage way before any of the cubs knew about what they would be in their adulthood. She was a beautiful lioness, and was respected by the whole kingdom just as much as they _respected_ Ahadi" Mufasa felt the way the word 'respected' had sounded; it was a euphemism of 'afraid'. He was starting to feel a weight on his shoulders, and his breathing seemed trapped in his throat. "Passive as a female must be. Words of the ninety-nine per cent of the Kings of Beasts, not mine" he rapidly said. He had started to trace dark lines on the woody wall before him. And his voice started to sound far away from there. Rafiki wasn't only remembering, he was living again what he was narrating.

"Ahadi had other word to describe the poor Mwema. _Weak_. When she died after giving birth to their heir, he thought the Kings were on his part, wanting to demonstrate he was right all along, that he wasn't cruel to the deceased Queen" Mufasa's stomach felt like a whirlwind now. Scar moved one step closer, his lips pressed. The way Rafiki was narrating the past events sounded very familiar to them. To Scar, especially. "Unluckily, Ahadi had the same opinion about the new-born" Rafiki's fingers moved too well for being drawing in plain darkness. "'He has inherited the same weak traits of his mother' he said. ' _Angeweza kuleta_ _giza_ _kwa ufalme_ , _angeweza kuleta giza kwa ufalme_… he kept saying" He narrowed his eyes, tracing with extreme care the last lines of his drawing. "I tried to persuade him that he couldn't know someone's aptitude when he's still a new-born. But Ahadi had the temper of a thousand of devils and a narrow mind. He had decided and there was no one who would made him change his mind"

Rafiki had stopped drawing. He let the fruit filled with black paint and then Mufasa could see he had drawn a small cub. If the little one was blurry because of the darkness of the night or Rafiki had done it that way intentionally, he couldn't tell. He saw Scar was looking at the shaman again, and his silence felt heavier than ever before. Because there was a brief understanding in the story Rafiki was telling, and Mufasa felt a bittersweet taste in his mouth again that he wanted to erase as soon as possible.

Rafiki's voice broke the silence, and with two eyes full of sorrow, he continued with a sentence that made their blood froze:

"Ahadi ordered me to abandon the cub far beyond the borders of his kingdom, and let him there in hands of fate"

* * *

 **Ugh, I really hate how the last part of the chapter turned out. Maybe I'd rewrite it someday, but here it is for the moment.**

 **1\. Amaryllis: I looked for the meaning of some flowers, and I read this one was the symbol of the victory after the fight.**

 ** _Angeweza kuleta_ _giza_ _kwa ufalme_ , is, in swahili: He would bring darkness to this kingdom. At least, according to Google Translate. Please, if some knows swahili and know a better translation, don't hesitate in saying it, I really hate to put Google translations in my stories XD**

 **Dragons-Twilight1992: Thanks!**

 **Joseph94: Ha sido el capítulo más entretenido que haya escrito de momento, y venía bien para romper la tensión XD! ¡Gracias!**

 **Jem Boy: Yes, Sarafina would have a pending conversation with Scar, but she doesn't know... yet. Well, you're lucky then, in this chapter he interacts with the two of them (and these parts were already written before I recieve your review XD! Coincidences of life, I guess). Thank you!**

 **All Hail King Scar: Glad you read it and liked it! Sarafina is always in something, the poor lioness XD! Thank you!**


	16. Reminiscence

**WARNING: Swearing and dark final in this chapter.**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 16:**

" **Reminiscence** _ **"**_

The wild dog came back. She broke the heavy silence of her home with her annoying crying. The mongrel hadn't looked to anybody, just hid herself in a small place between two pointed rocks and cried in a more moderate and silent way. Ukaidi looked from the distance, and she hated herself when she felt a bit of pity for the wild dog. Why should she? That species was trouble for her cousin right now. She wouldn't have minded if they had decided to torment only the King, he deserved it. Though she desired it had been them instead of the wild dogs. Gosh, how much she wanted to put her paws on that arrogant with good and carefree life…

She was glad when she saw Mufasa being cornered by the dogs. A part of her hoped he would be killed; the other part, hoped he would survive so they could have a bit of fun with his Pompous Majesty before his last breath. But the result was shooing the dogs while Scar went to help his brother. And, to this day, Ukaidi didn't know what to think of it. She did trust Scar. She could swear to Heavens she did. But the past months had been so… confusing.

She was raised to hate lions. Everybody there was. Hyenas and lions were natural enemies, or so she was told. The fact that her parents were killed by one of the lionesses of the King Ahadi didn't help. And her aunt, Ujanja, raised her and Ukaidi felt like her biological daughter. Ujanja, Shenzi's mother and former _(dead-killed)_ Matriarch. She still felt emotional every time she remembered her. She was the only adult figure she had and she looked up to her as much as Shenzi, Banzai and Ed did. She was rough but fair; she was strong yet fragile. She was a true leader, not like those pusillanimous they had at Price Rock, who only took advantage of heading the food chain and threaten everybody to follow their rules. Ujanja took care of a whole clan without threats, she was respected, never feared. She even adopted a lonely lion when he was abandoned by his family, exiled for a crime he never did. A _lion_. He doubted Mufasa, the good-hearted King, would have adopted a forsaken hyena…

Oh, yes, Ukaidi hated lions, but she hated Mufasa the most. She never knew if the golden lion had inherited the hatred she once felt for Ahadi, for all the pain and suffering her family had to put up with, but she hated Mufasa. She hated his name, his beautiful lands, his stupid lionesses, his tail-lickers herbivores… But she never hated his brother. Funny. Scar was a lion and was part of Mufasa's family. But he was the abandoned cub Ujanja raised with them, he was the lion who could use all he knew about hyenas to gain his brother's favour and get an important place in the pride, respected as he always wanted. He was the lion who didn't do any of that. He was the only lion with a bit of intelligence, and liked to use it instead of his muscles. She rarely thought about Scar as a lion – though it sounded strange – he was like another hyena: outcast, hated and prejudged.

But he had helped Mufasa.

He asked them for chased the dogs away.

Mufasa could be dead. He was about to fall, he could have just bleed to death that day. Scar could have given him the final blow, taunt him and play with him, as she knew he wanted to do (why wouldn't he, anyway?). Yet, he decided to save his life. They weren't given an explanation, and doubted Shenzi knew why Scar had done it, either, because she hadn't commented anything with her, Banzai or Ed. _Scar always has a reason to do things_ , Shenzi repeated to the rest of hyenas when the critics were too loud to ignore them. Ukaidi believed her, and she trusted Scar, with her own life even, but when she thought about the fact that a wild dog had to coexist with them and that Mufasa was alive and kicking in his perfect kingdom, she wanted to hit the dark lion so badly…

"Ugh, isn't she going to shut up? What a tiresome!" she heard one hyena complaining. He was looking at the wild dog with a disgusted expression, and the other four who were with him nodded, in agreement.

"Should we tell Shenzi?" another one asked.

"Pff, what for?" Fisi, who was in the group, shook his head. "She will do nothing, as usual. Not unless her master tells her to act"

 _Oh, that was it._ Ukaidi wasn't going to let that go. No. Never.

"The only ones who have a master here are us, and her name is Shenzi" she declared with a harsh tone. Except from Fisi, the other three hyenas bowed their heads in shame. "You better respect the paw that feed you" she added, dedicating a hateful glare to the scarred hyena.

Fisi let out a sarcastic laugh. "Feed? Oh, yes, you're right. I almost forgot the great feast we had this morning… The growls of my stomach stop me from remembering it…"

Ukaidi bared her teeth and advanced until they were nose to nose. "Be quiet, Fisi. You must not make fun of the Matriarch"

"Matriarchs, Kings… Respect must be earned" he blurted out, now with an angry look. "If Shenzi was half the leader she pretends to be, she…"

"Enough!" screamed Ukaidi. "I will only warn you once, Fisi. Or I'll make sure Shenzi acts like the Matriarch you want her to be with you"

She turned around, not wanting to hear his response. She looked around, and saw Shenzi resting under the big elephant skull she liked to spend her free time under. She walked towards her, happy to see she hasn't heard the fight. Shenzi didn't need that now, she needed support and union. If Fisi kept saying those things when none of them could hear him, if he could convince the desperate souls that wander the Cemetery… Heavens, she didn't want to think about that.

"Fisi is making you mad again?" Shenzi asked with a weak smile. She hasn't slept well the past few nights, and her lack of energy was starting to be noticeable.

"Nothing to worry about, cousin" she said rapidly, showing her most convincing smile to calm her nerves. Taking a seat beside her, she added: "Deaf ears to stupid words, that was what aunt Ujanja always taught her"

"Do you still remember that?" she asked with a wee laugh.

"But, of course! How could I forget anything she told us?"

Shenzi nodded. "Sometimes, I fear I could forget them…"

"You? You have elephant memory, cousin… I think is because you spend all your time under this skull…" Shenzi laughed, this time, more cheerful. "I fear someday I will see you with tusks instead of canines!"

"Stop, Ukaidi, it is no time for making jokes!"

"On the contrary! Your long face makes me think otherwise!" she declared with a faked serious tone.

Then, Ukaidi proceeded to "imitate" Shenzi's (supposed) face. She accumulated the air in her cheeks, frown until her forehead was riddled with wrinkles and the dark blue eyes of her irises disappeared, being just a thin line between a pair of narrowed eyes. Shenzi let out a sincere and uncontrolled laugh then. And, for that brief moment, she forgot the whispering of the hyenas and Ujinga. She felt a warm feeling covering her heart, giving her sweet memories of her past. When her laugh transformed into sporadic giggles, she said:

"Just like in the old times"

"Oh, so that elephant memory of yours serve for good things as well!"

"Stop with that" the Matriarch said, rolling her eyes, though she giggled again.

"What flash came to you now?" asked the younger one, resting her chin on her paw, mimicking a student listening to her master.

"Well, that time when you tried to hunt on your own for the first time to impress Mother, and you came back with a black eye and bleeding nose"

"Shut up" said the hyena rapidly.

"And you didn't stop crying while Mother tried to cure the wounds. 'It hurts, it hurts'… With that annoying pitched voice"

"I was a teenager, it was normal…"

"You still have it, I think your voice will never change. Bad news to our ears" Shenzi exaggerated an expression of pain while she covered her ears.

Ukaidi bared her teeth slightly. "I don't have a pitched voice"

"I can do a referendum"

"No"

"Let our people speak"

"No, they never have something useful to say"

As she ended the sentence, she knew she had talked too much. Ukaidi looked at her cousin, who had closed her eyes and had a distressed expression covering her whole face.

"Damned sixth sense of mine, it never fails…" the Matriarch whispered.

Ukaidi felt terribly wrong, though she had said or done anything bad to Shenzi, though she had ordered Fisi and his group to shut up before they could lament it. She nuzzled her neck and Shenzi became rigid for the sudden show of care.

Shenzi was about to stand up, to tell her cousin she wanted to be left alone, but she couldn't. She had passed too many years pretending to be stronger than she actually was so the clan would not get separated or agitated; she had been the advisor and – should she say it…? – the maternal figure of some young hyenas who had lost their real parents for dehydration, starvation or simply at the paws of some stinky lion. She had forgotten about herself and her needs. Worse, she had forgotten she had them as anyone else here. Worse even: she thought she had forced herself to forget them by helping others, instead of doing it because it was her job and the correct thing to do.

A part of her felt so repulsive for that theory, that she wanted to get separated from her cousin faster than before, but she stayed. Because it was true that she needed the caring touch and words to cheer her up to do her obligation as she was expected to. Banzai and Ed were the physical support, but Ukaidi was good in words. Shenzi, sometimes, thought maybe Scar and she got along so well because they had that in common, and so, Ukaidi could ignore the fact that Scar was a lion – a kind she hated with all her soul, and nobody there could blame her – more easily.

Before any of the females could say something – Ukaidi had a very good excuse to disappear before Shenzi could come back to her senses and ask her what the hell she was doing – a weak laugh was heard. The cousins looked in the direction, and saw, with great surprise, that the laugh belonged to Ujinga. And it was because Banzai and Ed.

In some moment, while Shenzi was wondering if she deserved the love and attention of others, while Ukaidi thought an excuse, maybe even before all that even occurred, Banzai and Ed had seen the wild dog crying, and, unlike what anyone there, including those two, would have thought of doing, they made her stop crying and gave a hint of a smile. It was unintentionally at first, but then, when they heard the wild dog laughing more keenly, they couldn't stop doing jokes and acting like clowns. Shenzi always said her brothers loved spotlights. That scene showed she was right.

They saw Banzai trying to knock Ed with a recent bone – a leftover of the sick baby antelope abandoned by their parents. Shenzi said they would do the child a favour and end with his pain, and she still thought to be right in that matter –. Ed take the bone away from his brother and hit him in the head. Banzai fell complaining about how he was going to have to coexist with another headache for a week. Ujinga laughed hysterically, then, crying, even, but this time her tears were for happiness, and, though nobody would ever admit this aloud, they felt better seeing that. Shenzi and Ukaidi this time accompanied her in the fun, and also shed a few tears.

"Will those two ever grow up?" asked Shenzi, trying to control her laughter and shaking her head.

"I hope not. Who will we laugh at, then?"

And that made them laugh even harder. Banzai and Ed, still unaware of them being the reason why Shenzi and Ukaidi were now in a good mood, began to laugh as well. Ujinga said something to them, but Shenzi couldn't have heard her even if the complete Cemetery would've been in complete silence.

Shenzi felt something strange being born inside her chest. It felt warm and welcoming. She knew that sensation, but it took a while to remember when she had felt it, but it finally came: she felt that way when her mother had let Scar in, right after he was exiled from the Pridelands. Was Ujinga the reason she felt this good all of a sudden? No. She hated that wild dog. She hated her whole family. They had hurt Ukaidi. But, looking at her cousin now… Ukaidi had a wee smile on her face and a serious gleam in her eyes. Was she thinking the same? If that dog said the true about not all her family wanting to cause harm, maybe there was a possibility to unite the strengths. They had already declared war to the Lion King, and had caused trouble in the Pridelands, how many possibilities they had to win if they would attack all together?

A sarcastic laugh broke her mental plans, and obligated her to be back in the real world. Shenzi recognised that laughter, and was surprised at how fast the warm feeling around her chest turned into ice when she did so.

"What a funny scene! The Matriarch's two brothers allying with the mutt"

"What do you want now, Fisi?" Shenzi blurted out, coarsely.

"Tell me yourself, I thought the Matriarch knew it all" he mocked with pretended respect.

Shenzi didn't lose time in getting up and be in front of him with teeth bared. "I recommend you stop _right there_ "

"Or what?" he challenged her, taking one step backwards. "Are you going to punish me? Please, punish me as you're punishing the mongrel: with food, water and a show of clowns"

Shenzi growled and buried her claws in the dirt beneath. "Fisi…"

"The clan is hungry, the clan is thirsty, the clan is starting to lose the patience…" Fisi condemned her.

"The clan or you?" Ukaidi had gotten up and put herself between her cousin and the rowdy.

"I'm part of this clan, for your information"

"But you're not the _spokeshyena_ "

"Who, then, should be it? Another tail-licker?"

"Enough!" said Shenzi, putting her cousin aside. "I know the situation we're going through, but right now we can't…"

"We can. We always can and always could!" interrupted the scarred hyena, losing his usual calm tone, raising the voice and, so, calling the attention of the rest of hyenas who were there. "We can get out there and take what it should be ours as well. You want to! I know you want to! As your mother wanted to as well!"

"Enough, Fisi" repeated Shenzi, this time, being the calmer of the two.

"But, as Ujanja, you're a coward"

Shenzi was starting to lose the patience. She could tolerate a lot of things, especially in a good or tiring day, but her mother… Her mother was, indeed, her mother, her whole world, even nowadays, no matter how long she had passed away. She was still alive in her heart and mind. Her actions, her caution, her world turned around Ujanja, around her spirit and lessons. Everything Shenzi did, everything she was… Had the mark of Ujanja.

"Fisi, I will not repeat myself…" she tried to say in a whisper. Not because she felt weak for the mention of her mother, but because she felt enraged, and she knew that would do no good in the critical situation she was in.

"Ujanja…" interrupted Fisi, with bitterness in his tone. "…licked the King's tail all her damned life. She was so afraid she preferred to let our clan die, to let the parents see their sons and daughters die in front of their bloody eyes… And now, you are doing the same"

"Enough, Fisi, that's…!"

Ukaidi couldn't contain herself anymore. Ujanja was her aunt, but also was a mother figure when her parents were killed by Ahadi when she was a pup. She was not going to tolerate anyone – less Fisi! – to speak slanders about the hyena who took care of her until her dying breath.

But, for her surprise, Shenzi, her cousin, the hyena she felt like a sister, stopped her. It wasn't needed a glare or a word, just a raise of her paw. Shenzi's paw fell slowly upon hers, and it made her calmer, but not less shocked. Looking Fisi directly in the eyes, the Matriarch spoke.

"Gather the best hunters and killer we have in our clan, Fisi"

There was no hesitation in her voice. There was not feeling in it, actually, and it made Ukaidi's blood turn cold. She saw Banzai and Ed approaching the scene, carefully. The wild dog was beside Ed, with a frighten look on her dark blue eyes. Surely, she was thinking the fight was because of her. She wasn't wrong but either right.

Fisi smiled, showing his sharp and yellow teeth. Ukaidi felt her heart stopping, there was something demonic in the way Fisi smiled, but now it seemed even worse.

"Shenzi, what are you…?" she tried to argue.

"Ukaidi" her cousin interrupted, with an authoritarian tone she barely used towards her. "I want you to lead them" then, in a whisper in her ear, she added. "Try to not shed too much blood; a message can't reach a leader if you killed them all"

Shenzi turned around without giving a last glance. Ukaidi looked at her with wide eyes, forgetting she had to blink. Banzai directed a glance to her, but she couldn't answer. Fisi's laugh broke the silence, but aggravated the tension.

"The Matriarch has spoken!" he declared aloud, so the nearest hyenas could hear the good news. Murmuring, he added: "About damned time"

* * *

Ukaidi was used to lead her family while hunting or be in charge when Shenzi was too occupied with, what she called, "Matriarch's problems". But that night, completely dark and full of clouds that didn't allow the Moon or the Stars to illuminate them a tiny bit, she felt something was off. And extremely wrong.

There were good hunters – killers – in the clan. Of course. One is not an outcast without being comfortable around the smell and sensation of death around the corner any time in the day, but she never socialized a lot with them. Funny thing, as she was one of the best hunters the clan had known since her aunt and mother themselves. _No_ , she told herself, _it is not funny. Not funny at all…_ There were a few hyenas there who had her total trust and friendship, and those seemed to be as uncomfortable as her.

She began to reconsider all this. Did she hate the wild dogs? Yes. Did she want them dead? Yes. Then, why the indecision? Why was she afraid of Shenzi's change of behaviour? She was the Matriarch, of course she had to make difficult decisions from time to time, and that included sending her best and most heartless killers to send a clear message to the leader of the pack: though they were against the lions, they were also against the hyena clan. They had once chance, and they wasted it. And the Matriarch gave no second chances or thoughts about important matters, like the welfare of her family.

It sounded so coherent, yet something was still off. There was something strange in the air, and it was starting to collapse her lungs. She looked around her. The gorge. They were already there. Surprisingly, there were no herbivore there. The King must have put a curfew for the security of his subjects. It was alright, they weren't there to hunt that night.

One sympathetic cloud put itself aside, letting the Moon illuminate the vast camp above the cliff that lead to a dry land below. Until the rain season, at least. A brief breeze allowed Ukaidi and the rest of the clan smell the scent of the non-grata visitants, and the silver light let them see approaching the wild dogs as phantoms the night brought back to life. Shiver went down Ukaidi's spine, as flashbacks of that fatal night when she was ambushed by those mongrels came back to her mind. She tried to stay cool.

She buried her claws on the ground, showed her sharp teeth and growled at her new enemy. For Shenzi, for the clan, for her family. She was prepared to attack, and felt some of the hyenas behind her imitating her. But something was…

"Well, well, well, about time" the wild dog that was leading the group of thirteen of his same kind talked, taking on step forwards.

…Off. They were no preparing to attack, they were no in a defensive manner, they seemed… Pleased with their visit? There was a moment of hesitation, in which Fisi passed her by and approach the dog with a strident laugh.

"It was a hell to finally make Shenzi do the move… We couldn't come here without be suspicious, could we?"

"Fisi…?" Ukaidi talked, walking towards them with cautious steps. She looked upon her shoulder when she heard growling. Some of Fisi's closest companions were threating the ones she was friends with. "What is going on here?" she asked, fury burning in her dark eyes. "Fisi, what is the meaning of this?"

"Now, now, dear Ukaidi…" said the scarred hyena, after sharing a conspiring look with that dog… Uhari was his name if she remembered correctly. "Let's not overreact without hearing all parts of a story…" he said, getting closer to her. By the final of the sentence, he was nose to nose with her. "You're a clever hyena, I know you would understand…"

He had begun to caress her body with his own, walking slowly and provocative around her, trying to sound seductive, but she was disgusted just by the sound of his voice. With a push, she put him aside, quite violently and gasping for rage.

"What?" she blurted out, with venom in her tongue. "What would understand? Do you expect me to be comprehensive towards a traitor?"

"Now, that's a very strong word, don't you think?" kept talking Fisi with a foreign soothing voice.

"Was it all a tramp, since the beginning?" she asked, breathing heavily. "All those whispering, gossiping… Was it so Shenzi would make you do what you wanted to? So the blame could be on her for trusting her own fucking clan members?"

"Shenzi is a good leader, I can give you that…" Fisi shrugged. "But she needs… A little push from time to time"

"To do what? What you want? What is better only for you?"

"Why only for me?" He got closer once again, and this time she didn't push him, trying to assimilate what was happening and planning a way out of there. "Look at them, Ukaidi, look at them and tell me you don't see the opportunity of our lives. The King against a clan of hyenas and a pack of wild dogs, both united for the same unfair law those lions created to treat us as garbage and not feel guilty"

"No" Ukaidi said abruptly. "No, I see two lunatics who could leave us all in ruins"

Fisi wasn't smiling. He was serious, more serious than she had seen him in all her life, and that made her afraid, but made a promise to not show it. This was wrong. Ujinga was different, and she could tolerate her. In fact, Ukaidi knew she was doing this because of her: the wild dog was terrified of the master her pack was working for, she felt horrified for what her family had become. She didn't want that to her family. Besides, this was a Fisi's idea. He was the less sane hyena in the entire Cemetery. She would never trust her or any of her beloved ones' lives to him.

"Unlike Shenzi, I'm willing to give animals around me, especially the ones of my kind, a lot of chances to understand and come to me" he said, approaching her once more. Ukaidi advances backwards, and only stopped when she felt one of her hind paws in the air. She maintained herself at the verge of the cliff, with Fisi's face too close to hers, feeling his scent invading her nostrils. It was sickening. "But I'm just like her when it comes to choosing bands. Either you're with me, or against me" he finished with a sinister shadow clouding his eyes.

Ukaidi inspired, trembling slightly, and, without thinking, she scratched him across the face, making him stumble away from her. "Never!" she declared, her chin up, proud. There was no sign of hesitation. "I'd rather die than have anything to do with some crazy and selfish idea of yours"

Fisi passed a paw upon the recent wound, and looked his paw tinted in red. Slowly, he looked at the female hyena, not showing so much surprise or emotion at all. "I knew you'd say something like that…" he muttered, but the silence in the gorge made him audible. Without warning, he leapt on Ukaidi and close his teeth around her neck, and threw her where the wild dogs were standing. Ukaidi fell with a thump, her neck and whole body hurting and her head going in circles. "As you wish, then" she barely heard through the beating of her heart.

She heard the four hyenas who were on her side fighting – and losing – against Fisi's followers, and tried to get up, but the whole pack of wild dogs surrounded her. Three of them kept her on the ground, pushing her down with all the strengths they had on their front legs. Their saliva bathed her backs and she felt suffocated, with a hell of a headache. _That is it…_ she thought, while the voices of the dogs around her sounded so distant yet so clear:

"I thought we would have to starve thanks to the curfew!"

"Hope she tastes better than she behaves!"

"She's so skinny!"

"Fresh hyena for dinner!"

 _That's how it ends…_ she thought, hearing the laughter that last joke created. She wasn't afraid, just sad. She wouldn't be able to see her cousins again, but she was glad she could have a special moment with Shenzi before all this happened. She thought she hadn't told her 'I love you' enough times, but doubted she would rectify that even if she lived one hundred years…

She felt satisfied. Because she was serious: she would rather die than betray her family. She closed her eyes, feeling peaceful, and darkness surrounded the painful world that was about to come.

* * *

 **Sorry for the delay. I've found myself very busy. I'm learning to use Sony Vegas and when I have no inspiration I make projects that I never end to practise. By no means I mean to not finish this story, but lately I'm busy, but in a positive way. Leading with anxiety is getting better, thank God, and things are getting better as well. Positive thoughts, as it's always said...**

 **I'm so evil, I'll let you with a cliffhanger and this chapter is only about hyenas and with this dark ending. Let's hope next chapter don't take me too long to complete. Thank you all who follow, favorite and/or comment respectfully, it means a lot.**

 **Joseph94: Yep, finally the mystery is solved XD Thank you!**

 **All Hail King Scar: Yes, yes, it does... Thanks!**

 _ **Sursum corda**_ **!**


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